The Good Guy
by Phantasy Star
Summary: Post-stars Serena/Darien. Darien accepts that Serena has moved on after their breakup. But when she begins a complicated and unhealthy relationship with Seiya, he finds it difficult not to intervene... /Finished/
1. Chapter 1 of 6

_Disclaimer: Sailormoon does not belong to yours truly. This story was inspired by Moonlight Resonance, which I felt could have developed the relationship between the second son and the doctor a lot more._

_Author's Notes: All comments and criticisms welcome. Please review!_

**The Good Guy  
By Phantasy Star  
Chapter One**

"You didn't have to pick me up from the airport, Darien."

Darien took a glance back as he clicked the button on his car key. Serena was cheerfully swinging her purse as she took her clip-on sunglasses out of her pocket.

"You hinted at it pretty strongly when you gave me your flight number, the exact time of arrival, and airport terminal," he teased as they stopped in front of his car in the airport parking lot, and he lifted her bright orange suitcase into the trunk.

"I wanted you to know in case something happened to me!" she exclaimed defensively, laughing.

They got into the car and he turned towards her, "So, how were your two months visiting Raye and Mina?"

Darien turned the wheel and stole a glance at his ex-girlfriend of six years. The sunlight dipped into the car through the roof window, giving her already beautiful face a warm glow. When she turned towards him, he looked quickly away.

"It was perfect," Serena answered enthusiastically, "I'm so glad I had these two months free before I start my social work internship at the hospital. Mina's concert sold out, and Raye is busy arranging the next tour even before this one ends. Raye really is an amazing agent – don't tell her I said that."

He laughed.

Serena sighed, "As happy as I am with how successful they are, I still really miss them. Lita's been studying cooking in France for three years now and Amy's been working as a medical intern in the States for two. I know that if I really needed them, they'd get on the next plane to Tokyo, but... it's just not the same, you know?"

"I guess you'll have to settle with me for now," Darien joked.

She turned to him and laughed smugly, "I guess so. I have to admit though, ever since you came back from America, I've been a lot happier."

Half an hour later, the car turned into the driveway of her apartment building.

She faced him, "Hey, Darien, want to grab dinner tonight? I have a craving for Italian food and I couldn't find a decent pizzeria _anywhere _in Kowloon."

He nodded, "Sure. How does Martucci's Ristorante sound?"

"Like you read my mind."

He climbed out and lifted her suitcases out of the trunk. She grinned. "See you tonight, Darien."

She walked towards her apartment building with the light, cheery air she retained from her high school days. He stared after her with a hopeful, almost goofy smile on his face. With a sigh, he got into his car and drove towards the sunset.

xxx

That night, Darien was snoring lightly when the phone rang. He felt for his cell phone on the night stand with blurry eyes and answered.

"Hello?" he mumbled.

"Darien?"

He sat up in his bed quickly at the sound of Serena's voice, turning on the lamp and rubbing his eyes.

"You're not sleeping yet, are you?" she said worriedly.

He cleared his throat as quickly as he could. "No, of course not," he lied, "It's only midnight. I was about to make myself something to eat."

"Seriously? I thought you'd be as stuffed as I am after our huge Italian feast," Serena said, then sighed, "Darien, I can't sleep – I think I have jet lag. Tomorrow's my first day at the hospital as a social worker. I don't want to be tired at work, what am I going to do?"

Darien thought for a moment.

"All right," he said as he bent over the edge of the bed and grabbed his anatomy textbook on the floor, "This is bound to help."

Serena sounded doubtful, "What do you have in mind?"

Darien flipped open the anatomy textbook to the page which he had been reading.

Using his most droning voice, he started, "Soft tissue sarcomas have been linked within families, so it is hypothesized that neurofibrosarcoma may be genetic, although researchers still do not know the exact cause of the disease…"

He heard a light giggle from Serena. He covered a yawn with his hand, his eyes strained in reading the small-font text.

With a slight frown on his face to keep his voice from wavering, he continued reading, "Evidence supporting this hypothesis includes loss of heterozygosity on the 17p chromosome. The p53, a tumor suppressor gene in the normal population, genome on 17p in neurofibrosarcoma patients is mutated…"

On the other side of the line, Serena felt herself drifting off to Darien's deep and monotonous voice. A few minutes later, she dropped her phone lightly on her pillow and was sound asleep with a faint smile on her face.

xxx

Darien frowned when he heard the voicemail prompt again. "Hotaru," he said into the cell phone, "Come on, pick up. Setsuna's very worried about you, and so am I – we all are. Whatever the problem is, just call me and we can talk about it. I promise I won't tell anyone. Hotaru, please call me back."

Darien clicked his phone off worriedly with one hand, the other hand turning the steering wheel as he circled the same block for the fifth time. He tried to keep his eyes on the road while looking out for any signs of the young girl.

Over the past few years he had gotten to know Hotaru well. He visited her often after her father passed away and she moved in with Setsuna. Darien had always felt a connection with the young girl, and she took a liking to him as well. His years at the orphanage convinced him that everyone could use a father figure in their life, or at least a big brother.

He turned on his car headlights. It was already seven o'clock and the sky had turned almost completely dark. He stepped on the gas pedal anxiously.

Then he took his cell phone out of his pocket with one hand and dialled Serena's number.

"Serena, it's me. Hotaru ran away from home and we can't find her. I've tried her school, her best friend's house, her piano teacher's… You have any idea where else she could have gone?"

Her voice was worried, "There are a few places I can think of. Listen, I'm just getting off of work. Why don't you pick me up and we'll look together?"

---

Darien and Serena drove into the playground parking lot. He sighed in relief when he saw Hotaru on the swings, not noticing that they were there. Her eyes were downcast, and she swung sullenly by herself.

"I'll go get her," Darien said quickly, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"No, let her be by herself," Serena urged, "She probably wants some time alone."

He sighed, turning towards her, "Okay, I guess you're right. I want to stay here with her until she's ready to go home. You don't have to wait with me."

"No, I want to make sure she's okay too," Serena said.

"Are you sure? This might take a while, and you haven't had dinner yet…"

He turned to look when he heard her rummage through her purse.

"A chocolate bar?" he said, surprised.

"Don't look at me like that!" she exclaimed as she pulled one out, breaking it into two, "It's brain food."

"You haven't changed at all, have you?" he chuckled, reaching his hand out to take the half she offered him.

"Nope."

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Then she turned to him brightly.

"Oh yeah, how are you doing with Saori? It's getting pretty serious, huh?"

"We broke up," he said simply.

She gasped, "Oh, Darien, I'm so sorry! What happened?"

He shrugged, "You know… Sometimes these things just don't work out. I'm okay though. It's been almost a month."

"That long? Why didn't you tell me while I was on my trip?"

"It didn't seem important," Darien said nonchalantly.

Just then, his cell phone signalled a message. He took it out of his pocket.

_Dar Dar, I'm sorry I didn't call you back. It's __eleven o'clock__ now. I'm alone at the park, there aren't any taxis around, and I'm scared. Can you come and pick me up? -Hota._

He handed it to Serena and she smiled as she read it. Then he stepped on the pedal and drove up next to the swings.

Hotaru's face brightened in surprise when the car headlights hit the swing set.

Darien leaned out the car window and grinned.

"Come on, princess. Your pumpkin coach is here."

---

"I think I like this boy in my class," Hotaru admitted, "He's smart and nice and good-looking. Setsuna says I shouldn't think about boys yet. She says I should only think about studying. That's all she cares about, my grades. She doesn't care about my feelings at all."

Darien frowned as he listened to Hotaru's story. They sat at an overnight pizzeria with Serena, but the pizza in front of them remained untouched.

"Of course she cares about your feelings," Darien said gently, "She just probably forgot what it's like to be your age. If you tell her the whole story, I'm sure she'd understand."

"But I'm not even sure myself whether I like him," Hotaru said hesitantly, "I think I do, but…"

Darien found himself grateful that Serena was there. This was a situation that he would handle probably even more poorly than Setsuna.

"Sometimes it's not easy to tell," Serena said, putting a hand over Hotaru's, "Especially a first love. If you're not sure, it might be a sign that you should wait a bit. Until you _really _know."

Darien took a sip of his Coke and stole a glance at Serena at the same time, his heart warming at her gentle tone.

Hotaru frowned and looked up at the two adults, "Darien, Serena... What's a first love really like?"

Darien caught Serena's eyes briefly.

He chuckled, "More trouble than it's worth."

Serena stifled a laugh and glared at him playfully. Hotaru turned her attention towards Serena expectantly.

Serena blushed, "I had my first boyfriend when I was only sixteen. And it was... magical."

Darien looked at her, surprise marking his face.

"I don't think I feel like that towards the boy in my class..." Hotaru admitted, "At least not magical."

Darien reached out to ruffle Hotaru's hair gently, "Then wait a while, you have plenty of time to find someone you really like. Come on, let's finish this pizza and get you home."

---

A moment later, Darien was driving Serena home after having dropped Hotaru off at Setsuna's apartment. They had asked Setsuna not to lecture the young girl too much.

"So, my relationship with you was more trouble than it was worth, huh?" Serena said playfully, turning to him from the passenger's seat, "You know, I only said my first love was magical because I didn't want Hotaru to lose all faith in romance. To tell you the truth, my relationship with you caused me a lot of emotional damage. That's why I never dated again after being with you."

Darien chuckled, "Have you considered the damage done to _my _psyche? No amount of social work can fix me."

Serena laughed, "I can probably get a pretty large sum of money if I sue you for my emotional baggage."

"All right, Miss Tsukino. I will see you in court."

As she giggled, he stole another look at her, his heart warming.

He smiled.

His first love had been magical too.

xxx

Darien's eyes flickered with excitement as he put the carefully handwritten cardboard note on to the top of the chocolates.

He had spent almost an hour arranging the box, putting the roses between the chocolates and setting the note on top. He had written and rewritten the four-words note many times.

_I still love you._

He smiled. It was true: he still cared for her.

Darien sighed. Perhaps he had been able to let go of Serena the first few years after they had broken up. He had told himself not to think anymore about pursuing her, that she had given up on him a long time ago and he had to give up on her too.

But, when he met her again as an adult, after he had returned to Tokyo from his studies in America, he felt familiar feelings rushing back.

Even while he was dating Saori, a part of him was still yearning for her, the bubbly blonde who had grown to be a gentle and compassionate young woman. She still had a special way of connecting with people, and somehow, he felt that she was still the only one who really understood him.

He picked up the note and set it down carefully again. Finally satisfied, he closed the lid over the box of chocolates and smiled.

'Serena… I hope you feel the same way about me.'

---

"Thanks for the ride home, Darien," Serena said tiredly, "I didn't think how exhausted I'd be after my first day as an intern. I know social work is all about talking, but listening to story after story and figuring out how to address each problem, it's pretty taxing."

"Uh-huh," she heard him say.

Serena turned towards him sitting on the driver's seat, his eyes focused stoically on the road.

She frowned, "Darien, are you all right? You haven't said much of anything since we got into the car. Not that you're normally a talker, but today… Are you okay?"

He turned towards her briefly, giving her an obviously forced smile, "Sorry, tired day at work, I guess."

She decided to drop it.

The car came to a gentle stop outside her apartment building.

"Hey, I got you something," he said, "As congratulations for surviving your first day of work."

She waited as he reached to the back of his car seat and produced a thin black box. She gasped excitedly as she took it from him, "You didn't have to do this!"

She was about to open the lid when he put his hand quickly over hers.

"Open it at home," he said with a nervous grin, "It's a surprise."

"This'd better not be a practical joke," she frowned.

He glared at her playfully, "Is this how you always think of me?"

She laughed, "Sorry, sometimes I forget that we're not teenagers anymore."

She opened the car door and stepped out, but not before turning around and flashing him a grateful smile, "Thanks, Darien."

xxx

Serena turned the key to her apartment and went inside. Putting her purse on her table and turning on the light, she took Darien's present out carefully. Her fingers were lifting the lid when a knock on the door interrupted her.

She ran lightly to the door and peeked through the eyehole. She gasped, her legs becoming weak. She took a step back, then pressed her face against the door again to make sure she was not imagining things.

Then she threw the door open.

"Seiya!" she whispered in amazement.

He looked almost the same as he did seven years ago, except his hair was slightly shorter and his frame even taller. She noticed the same intelligently sharp brown eyes and cocky grin he sported when she first met him. He wore a classy black jacket over a dark purple sweater, an outfit she recognized.

"I've missed you!" she cried incredulously as she hugged him.

"Me too, Odango," he said.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as she pulled away, looking into his eyes excitedly, "Are you back for good? How'd you know where I live? Wait, no, that's not that important. Answer me whether you're back for good first!"

He laughed, his eyes dancing cheerfully.

"I'll tell you everything if you come outside with me for a bit," he said teasingly.

She didn't hesitate, "Of course!"

A few moments later, she found herself sitting in an empty auditorium, watching the lone performer on stage.

_"In the brightly shining world of white,  
With your wings spread out wide you are there."_

Serena's heart pounded heavily against her chest. Seiya's voice resonated powerfully throughout the empty auditorium.

They had broken into the stadium where most of Seiya's concerts took place, much to Serena's reluctance. But that reluctance was quickly fading as all she could think about was the man on the concert platform.

She remembered how excited she and the girls were when they went to one of Three Lights' concerts. Now there was only one performer, one soloist. No backdrop, no background singers, no audience except her. But it was more thrilling than ever.

_"But those wings are so black and heavy on you,  
That you look like you're being crushed by your destiny." **(footnote 1)**_

And even though he stood all the way at the front of the stage, it felt like she could feel his breath on her face and his voice against her ears.

xxx

Darien sat at his desk, his hand gripping his cell phone tightly.

Why hadn't she called him yet?

He turned to look out the window at the clear sky, a frown on his face. Then his eyes wandered back to the unmoving cell phone in his hand. He rested his chin on his arm, staring at the inactive screen.

'Serena… what's your answer?'

xxx

Serena lay on the hood of Seiya's car next to him, looking up at the night sky. The stars shone brightly above them, and Serena thought she could make out the figure of a rose in the sky. The night air felt cold against her skin but her face was flushed. A million thoughts raced through her mind.

While Seiya was on Earth, she had never seen him as a potential boyfriend. In the recent years, long after she and Darien had separated, she occasionally wondered what would have happened if she had met Seiya first. If the girls were right, if Seiya did in fact have feelings for her, how would she have felt about that?

His soft voice interrupted the silence.

"Serena…" he said quietly, "The past few years have been difficult. Taiki, Yaten and I worked hard to rebuild our home planet Kinmoku. There was so much devastation from Galaxia's attack, I worried that we would never be able to revive the proud civilization that was once Kinmoku.

"But we worked hard. We got people together, from all areas of industry and with all types of expertise. We tried our best to develop a new and sustainable political and civil infrastructure for our people. We salvaged everything we could from the ruins and rebuilt homes for civilians. We forged a new set of laws governing the new Kinmoku.

"It took us a long time, and all of our energy. But slowly, little by little, we pulled it off. People are finally feeling settled again. People are finally learning to be happy.

He paused, "Well… except me."

His eyes were closed now and her breaths grew shallower at his words.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you," he admitted, "Even though I love my home planet, I know that Kinmoku is no longer my home. It didn't matter how much effort I put into rebuilding Kinmoku, I knew I would never be happy there. Odango… My home is Earth, here with you. And to answer your last question… Whether or not I stay here for good depends entirely on you."

"Seiya, I…" she said softly, not sure what her next words would be.

"Come on, Odango," Seiya said, turning more fully towards her and resting his head on his elbow, "You said that you and Darien broke up a long time ago. Why won't you give me a chance?"

He took her hand in his and she blushed.

"Seiya…"

xxx

It was almost morning when Serena got home. She threw her keys on the kitchen counter and sat down at her desk, both her heart and head feeling heavy.

Absentmindedly, she reached for the box Darien had given her. She opened it and smiled, greeted by the scent of her favorite chocolates. Thinking back, she was surprised at how close they had gotten after he had come back from America. He was just like an older brother to her, always dependable, always caring.

At least there was some consistency in her life she could hang on to.

Then she noticed the carefully set piece of white cardboard paper at the center of the box, placed amidst the chocolates and roses. She recognized Darien's perfect handwriting right away. Her smile faded.

_I still love you._

Her mouth fell open.

---

**_(footnote 1) _**The lyrics are from **GingaIchi Mibun Chigai Na Kataomoi**, Seiya's main theme from Sailor Stars.

See if you can spot a nod to another 'fic from one of my favorite authors on ff dot net!

_Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2 of 6

_AN: Thanks for the reviews from last chapter! Super excited to be posting this. Disclaimer again: I do not own Sailormoon, and this story is partially inspired by Moonlight Resonance. Thanks for reading!_

_---  
_

It was almost morning when Serena got home. She threw her keys on the kitchen counter and sat down at her desk, both her heart and head feeling heavy.

Absentmindedly, she reached for the box Darien had given her. She opened it and smiled, greeted by the scent of her favorite chocolates. Thinking back, she was surprised at how close they had gotten after he had come back from America. He was just like an older brother to her, always dependable, always caring.

At least there was some consistency in her life she could hang on to.

Then she noticed the carefully set piece of white cardboard paper at the center of the box, placed amidst the chocolates and roses. She recognized Darien's perfect handwriting right away. Her smile faded.

_I still love you._

Her mouth fell open.

**The Good Guy  
By Phantasy Star  
Chapter Two**

Darien rubbed his eyes and looked at his alarm clock again to see that it was almost 4a.m. He sat at his desk, his hand holding his cell phone and staring at the unmoving digits. Outside his window, the moon had disappeared and there was a hint of the coming sunrise.

His phone hadn't rung all night.

Did she open the present yet? Did she get his note?

He frowned. With another anxious sigh, he got out of his chair and climbed into his bed, resting his head on the pillow. Maybe she didn't know how to respond. Maybe she wanted to reject him but she wasn't sure how to.

An hour later, Darien had fallen asleep when his cell phone sounded. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand and squinted at the small screen, trying to adjust his eyes to the sunlight coming through his window.

It was a text message.

_I opened your present._

His face broke into a smile. Then he realized how banal the message was. Feeling his heart sink, his fingers trembled slightly as he replied to the message.

_D__id you like it?_

It took a few minutes for the message to come back.

_Thank you, __Darien__. I am so lucky to have an older brother like you who always cares about me. I hope we can be great friends forever__._

Darien tried to smile, not sure who he was pretending for.

He had been waiting so many years for a rejection after all.

_I hope so too, Serena. I hope we'll always be close as we are now._

Putting his cell phone on his nightstand, he lay on his bed and hastily wiped away a single tear, closing his eyes to go to sleep.

---

Serena gripped her phone tightly in her hands, her eyes wet.

'I'm so sorry, Darien.'

xxx

Darien waited outside the patient's room worriedly. It had been a week since he had seen or talked to Serena, a week since he had given her the note. He was worried that that would be end of their friendship.

He felt stupid for thinking she could still have feelings for him after so long. What was he thinking? He should have been content just being an older brother to her.

Either way, he decided that today he would confront her, ask her if she could put the incident behind them. Earlier when he saw her go into a patient's room, he went to the door and waited outside in the hospital hallway.

When she came out, he went up to her and she turned to face him, surprised.

"Serena..." he said hesitantly, "Are you mad at me?"

She paused, then frowned, "About what?"

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "You know..."

"I don't know what you're talking about..." Serena said, seemingly confused.

Then her face brightened, "Oh, I remember! Last week you said you'd take me and Hotaru out for pizza and you didn't mention it again. Also, my birthday is in a few weeks, but you still haven't asked me what I want for a present."

She grinned at him.

"All right," he said, giving her a small knowing smile, "I'll ask Hotaru if she wants to have pizza with us on Friday. As for your present, I don't need to ask you what you want because I already have something in mind."

Serena smiled, "Good. I have work to do but I'll see you later, Darien."

He nodded, "See you later, Serena."

He watched her walk away from him down the hall. He sighed, relieved and disappointed at the same time. Perhaps things could go back to being normal after all. He wished they had a different ending, but at least she was still his friend.

xxx

"Wow, check out this apartment!"

Serena felt like a princess as they stepped through the elevator doors, opening directly to the lavishly decorated loft Seiya's agent had arranged for him. Things began moving quickly when the Three Lights' old manager realized the lead singer was back in town.

Seiya led her to the large zebra-patterned couch, and she marvelled at everything along the way – the high black leather chairs, the indoor gym, the water fountain. The whole place seemed surreal.

After they had sat down, Serena watched as Seiya bent down to take out a black rectangular box from under the couch.

"This is congratulations for a start to a great social work career," Seiya grinned as he handed it to her, "I know you'll be terrific at it. Go ahead, open the box!"

Serena nodded, setting the box on her lap and lifting the lid to find a beautiful pair of black, high-heeled slippers. She flinched, remembering how Darien's first real present for her was a pair of beautiful slippers as well.

"They're gorgeous," she said truthfully, and Seiya grinned.

"Only the best for my girlfriend," he said.

He took her hands in his.

"Do you know how long I've been dreaming about this?" he said softly, "To be able to come back and be with you? I've been waiting for seven years, Odango."

Serena smiled, feeling overwhelmed.

"Thank you for the surprise, Seiya," she said softly as he hugged her.

"Many more to come, Odango," he whispered.

xxx

"Do you have any stuffed bears?"

The sales girl nodded and led Darien to the back of the large plush toy store. He smiled when he thought proudly about Hotaru winning the regional mathematics contest. The ceremony was being held next week at her school, and he decided a big reward was in order. It was always easy to know what to get for the twelve-year-old girl, since her room was filled with an always expanding collection of teddy bears.

Darien chose the largest bear with funny dull-looking eyes and carried it to the cash register. He was taking out his wallet when he heard Serena's voice.

"Hotaru loves stuffed bears," she was saying excitedly, "Her stuffed animal collection is even bigger than mine when I was her age."

He glanced towards the store entrance and saw Serena with a tall, medium-built man with slightly long, dark hair. His eyes widened when he saw their joint hands.

His insides went hollow.

_Is that Seiya Kou?_

They walked into the store, not noticing him.

"Serena," he called with a smile.

She seemed stunned when she noticed him. She dropped Seiya's hand abruptly, and Seiya stared at her in surprise.

"Darien," she said with an awkward smile, "What are you doing here?"

"Probably the same thing you're doing," he said, scratching the back of his head good-naturedly, "Picking out a present for Hotaru for her math award."

"That's why I'm here too," she said, then turned to her companion, "You two have met before… Seiya Kou… Darien Chiba."

Darien nodded and the two shook hands. Seiya's eyes were friendly, unchallenging.

"You're back on Earth," Darien remarked, feeling idiotic at his own comment.

"Since a couple of weeks ago," Seiya replied.

"Oh… Well, I got what I came here for," Darien said, forcing a chuckle, lifting up the large bag as if for proof, "I'll see you around."

"See you later, Darien," Serena said in a small voice.

He walked out of the store.

As he stepped on to the sidewalk, he couldn't help but look back through the store window. She turned her head and his eyes caught hers. He gave her a polite smile and she returned it.

An unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach, he turned and walked to his car.

xxx

Darien watched as Setsuna cross her legs as she took a sip of the tea he had offered her. The Sailorsenshi of Time sat on the couch in his apartment with her usual ambiguous expression, an odd mix of apathy and urgency.

"Darien, I wanted to make sure you will not leave town for a while, since you and I are the only ones in the city protecting Serena. As you know, Michiru and Haruka are on an away mission to investigate some unusual energies entering through the edge of the galaxy."

Darien was surprised, "Protect Serena? Is there another enemy out there?"

Setsuna closed her eyes mysteriously, "Very unlikely, but I want to take precautions nonetheless."

"Maybe I should contact the Innersenshi," Darien suggested.

Darien recalled that Amy was studying medicine in America and Lita was training in French Cuisine in Tours, France. Mina was on her concert tour in Asia, with Raye who worked as her agent. Mina decided to bring Luna and Artemis along, giving them a chance to see a country outside Japan.

"There's no need," Setsuna answered stoically, "Protecting the planet from external forces is the duty of the Outer Senshi and you, Guardian of Earth. Besides, the Inners will only get in the way."

Darien rubbed his chin dismissively, always perplexed at the rift between the two groups of girls which hadn't changed over the years.

"Well, you can count on me," he said finally.

"Let's hope we won't have count on you too soon."

xxx

"Seiya, it's me, Serena. Again. Where are you? It's been over a week since I've heard from you. If you're getting these voice messages, please call me back. I know you might be busy, or maybe you have something on your mind. I just want to know that you're all right. I… I guess that's all. Please, just give me a call, okay?"

Serena clicked the phone off anxiously. She walked by herself down the darkened street, her heart heavy.

It had been ten days since she had heard from him. It scared her to think that he may already have tired of her. Worse yet, she worried that something had happened to him. Nobody else knew that he was back on Earth, let alone how to contact him. She had called him numerous times but he hadn't returned any one of her calls.

She decided that she had to find out the reason, even if it may not be good news.

Serena slowed her steps as she approached the entrance to Seiya's apartment building. She sighed, unable to find the courage to go in. Perhaps one more try on the phone couldn't hurt. She took out her cell phone and dialled the number she had memorized by heart.

To her surprise, she heard the familiar sound of his phone's ringtone. She turned, then quickly hid in the shadows.

Seiya was coming out the entrance of his building. She sighed with relief. He was fine.

Then she watched as he glanced at his cell phone and looked at the caller ID. He frowned, putting it into his pocket and continuing to walk away from the apartment building.

Putting a hand over her mouth, she walked the other way quickly before he could see her.

---

Serena walked dejectedly down the park path, having wandered the familiar garden paths for over an hour now. She noticed that it had become quiet. The children who were playing on the swings a few moments ago were gone now, and only a few couples were left rowing boats on the lake.

What did she do wrong? Why was he ignoring her?

Did he decide to break up with her?

She gasped when someone hugged her tightly from behind. Then she recognized the familiar scent and feel of Seiya.

He pulled her close and clutched her to him desperately.

"I'm so sorry, Odango," Seiya whispered into her hair, "I'm so sorry that I've been avoiding you."

Serena bit back tears, "Why didn't you answer any of my calls? Why did you see my name on your phone and ignore it?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered distraughtly, still holding her tightly, "There were just some things I had to deal with. They're over now. I promise I won't abandon you again."

Tears ran down her face.

"Please forgive me, Odango," he said softly behind her.

---

Serena and Seiya sat on a wooden bench, watching the ocean waves gently touch the shore. His voice was soft.

"When Taiki, Yaten Princess Kakyuu and I got back to Kinmoku, the whole planet was in ruins… People were mourning their loved ones. The buildings and infrastructure were all destroyed. There was only one way to regain what we lost.

"It was a difficult decision. I tried to stop her, but Princess Kakyuu decided that she had to use her ,_Ginzuishō_. She wanted to will the planet back into its original form. In the end, I had to give my consent. Naturally, the crystal cost her her life and erased all memory of her. Taiki, Yaten and I almost forgot too. But when we saw her lifeless body, it hit us that we had just lost our princess.

"After many hours of pooling our powers together and channelling them into her, we were surprised and overjoyed that she managed to recover enough energy to slowly return to life. There was only one problem… No one else remembers her. When we told her, she looked at me and said plainly that she was okay with nobody remembering her, because… because she had me.

"We've been together for the past six years. I continued my responsibility in the planet rebuilding efforts. When I went home, I spent every evening with her. She was happy as a civilian. I thought I was happy too, or at least I tried to convince myself. The truth is, I never got over you, Odango."

"So… you came to Earth to find me," Serena said softly, finishing for him.

He nodded, "I told Princess Kakyuu what I planned to do. She didn't try to stop me. But then, I found out that she had followed me here."

"These past ten days…" Serena said slowly, "Were you with her?"

He nodded again, "Yes. But I've made my decision. I only want-"

"You belong with her," Serena interrupted with a sad smile, "She sacrificed herself for her planet. She sacrificed her friendships, her royal status, her entire life. Now all she has is you."

"Odango…" Seiya said, his eyes pained.

"You have to stay with her… It's a beautiful story, Seiya," Serena whispered, "But I don't fit anywhere into it."

She stood up, smiling through her tears, "You don't have to drive me home, Seiya. I can call a cab."

Her eyes wet, she got up from the bench and walked away from him, ignoring his painful, longing gaze after her.

She hailed a taxi and was about to get in.

But a hand grabbed on to her wrist tightly.

"I can't," Seiya whispered against her ear, "I can't let you go."

She turned around and stared at him.

"I…"

xxx

Darien climbed on his motorcycle in the hospital parking lot. He put on his helmet and closed the visor over his eyes. A lot of the time, he was thankful for his work. After a day of taking care of patients, his own problems seemed trivial and inconsequential.

He told himself to stop thinking about Serena. She clearly had no feelings left for him anymore. The most he could hope for was to continue being her friend, to protect her if she ever needed him.

As he revved up his engine, he checked the rear mirror and froze as something caught his eye.

His eyes widened.

Seiya was walking down the street, holding a redhead's hand as they walked casually. The girl was tall, only slightly shorter than Seiya. Her hair was a pure dull red color. And even though they were far away, he could tell she was beautiful.

Darien frowned, an uneasy feeling filled his stomach. Stepping on the gas pedal, he drove away.

xxx

"Hey, Serena," Darien said as she approached the park bench where they had agreed to meet, "Why did you want to find me so quickly?"

It was a cloudy day and the early summer wind felt comfortable against his thin flannel shirt.

Serena sighed as she sat down next to him. "It turns out I won't be able to come to Hotaru's school award ceremony after all. I have a social work case that day that I couldn't fit anywhere else in my schedule."

She handed him a large plastic bag, "Can you give this to Hotaru for me please?"

"Of course," he nodded as he took it from her.

Serena smiled, "Tell her congratulations from me, and that I'm really proud of her."

"I will," Darien smiled, "Thanks for your gift."

Serena sighed. "Well, I'm really behind schedule this week, I should go."

"Okay… See you later, Serena."

As he watched her walking away from him, he felt his stomach tighten.

"Wait, Serena," he called after her, jogging up to her.

"What is it, Darien?" she looked him with large eyes.

He hesitated slightly. "You remember last week… when I ran into you at the stuffed animals store and you were with Seiya…?" He paused, "I saw him again the other day on the street. He… seemed to be with another girl."

Serena averted his gaze, staring downwards and forcing an awkward smile.

"I… I know," she said softly, "That's his girlfriend."

Darien widened his eyes.

His voice was concerned. "Serena… Aside from those few years I spent in America, you've always told me everything that was bothering you. These few weeks it's like you've been avoiding me. Is it… is it because of the box of chocolates?"

Serena shook her head timidly, her voice weak, "No, Darien. You're thinking too much. I really did want to find you, to talk to you. I even dialled the first few digits of your telephone number, but then… I know that it's not fair to you. I know that it would hurt you."

It was his turn to shake his head, "Serena… I'm already past that. I'm happy just being your friend, your older brother. You know that you can always tell me anything."

Serena nodded.

She took a deep breath, "I feel awful, Darien. I'm dating someone who already has a girlfriend, but I can't let go. I know that I should just avoid his calls, refuse to see him, pull myself out before I get in too deep, but… I'm just too weak. I'm really scared that I'm going to end up like that woman who broke up my family, the woman who took my dad away from my mom."

Darien's eyes were pained, knowing that whenever Serena talked about Kenji and his infidelity always brought her to tears. Mr. Tsukino had always seemed like the model husband and father, until he met the younger woman from his reporting firm.

Serena sniffled, "Why can't I just stay away from Seiya? Why don't I have any self-control?"

Her voice broke and she looked up at Darien, ashamed.

Before he could respond, she turned around and ran away, hailing a Taxi and climbing in.

"Serena!" Darien called, watching helplessly as the car drove away.

He stared after her, his heart sinking.

'Serena… Why are you doing this to yourself?'

---

_Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3 of 6

_Usual disclaimer: I do not own Sailormoon. And this story is inspired by the amazing Moonlight Resonance. Please continue to read and review!_

**The Good Guy****  
By Phantasy Star  
Chapter Three**

Darien frowned, staring at the rain outside his windshield. It hadn't let up all afternoon. He leaned forwards and peered upwards at the dark, cloud-filled sky. The traffic light changed, and he stepped on the gas pedal.

When his cell phone rang, he picked it up with one hand and kept the other on the steering wheel. "Hello?"

"Darien?"

Her voice was weak, tone fragile.

"Serena?" he frowned, "What's wrong? Why do you sound like that?"

"I… I left my wallet at home, and I don't have money to call a cab," she said dejectedly, "Are you free right now? Do you mind picking me up?"

"Of course not, where are you?"

Her voice was grateful, "Thanks, Darien. I'm at 53rd-"

He heard a click.

"Serena?" he said worriedly into his phone, "Serena?"

---

Serena stared at her cell phone and groaned.

"I can't believe this," she said miserably to herself, "My cell phone is out of batteries at a time like this? And I don't even have a quarter for the phone booth…"

The thunder sounded again and she shuddered, pulling her sweater tighter around herself.

She walked aimlessly down the sidewalk, avoiding puddles along the way. She saw a 7-Eleven and thought about buying an umbrella, then remembered that she didn't have any money with her.

'I deserve this,' she thought dejectedly as she felt the rain growing heavier, 'I deserve to be out in the rain by myself.'

---

"Serena!"

She turned around, her hair wet and clothes dripping. Her face was pale.

"Darien," she said, surprised as he ran out towards her, an umbrella in his hand, "What are you doing here?"

"You said you were on 53rd street," he explained worriedly, "So I drove up and down looking for you. What the heck are you doing in the rain?"

He held his umbrella over her and took off his jacket with one hand, putting it over her shivering body.

"I deserve to be out here," Serena said brokenly.

"What are you talking about?" Darien frowned.

She looked downwards, water rolling down her cheeks, "Earlier today I ran into Seiya and Kakyuu on the street. She didn't recognize me because she'd only seen me once as Serena and not Sailormoon. I had to pretend not to know Seiya, and he pretended not to know me.

She started to cry, "I'm doing this horrible thing to her, ruining her relationship with Seiya, but she doesn't even know who I am. The other day, when Seiya said he'll break it off with her, I actually felt… happy. Like I'd won. I'm a homewrecker, Darien. A mistress!"

Darien shook his head, "Serena, stop… Stop calling yourself those names…"

She bit her lip and stared downwards at the puddles lining the sidewalk, "When I was a kid, I didn't have the best grades at school. I wasn't the most mature and responsible. But everyone said I was a good girl… nice, considerate, caring... I think I believed it myself too…

"But now… now I'm just like the woman who stole my dad away from my family."

Her voice broke. She looked up abruptly when Darien threw the umbrella away, the handle bouncing on the sidewalk and collapsing at the side of the road.

He put his hands on her shoulders as his hair grew wet and water ran down his face, "No, you're different! You know that what you're doing is wrong! You're not this type of person, Serena. I know you're not! You can back away!"

The rain was heavy around them, but she hardly felt it.

"Darien," she sobbed as she fell against him, crying on his wet shoulder, "I don't know if I can back away…"

He looked at the top of her head, his heart breaking for her. He could only hold her tighter.

xxx

Darien watched as Serena aimed her gun and shot three few virtual monsters one after another, not blinking in between. The heavy VR gear on her back didn't seem to slow her down at all.

He grinned, adrenaline pumping full-force through his body. He swung his pistol and shot at a series of holograms, drawing gasps from nearby players. Serena glanced at him briefly, her eyes seeming even more determined than before.

He gave her an arrogant smile. Breaking into a run, they ran further down the darkened corridors.

---

Afterwards, they lay on the grass outside the virtual arcade. He rested his head against one hand, staring at the cloudless afternoon sky above them.

"Thanks for spending the day with me, cheering me up," she smiled, turning towards him and resting her head on her arm, then sighed, "I'm so pathetic. Every time I'm sad, I call you up and ask you to hang out with me. I'm taking up all your time."

Darien chuckled, sitting up and looking at her, "These hours I'm spending with you, they're not for free, you know. I'm storing them up, I expect you to return them someday.

He put on a serious face, "I estimate that I'll have at least three failed relationships before getting married. When I get dumped I'm going to need someone to cheer me up. Trust me, you'll definitely be paying me back these hours."

Serena glared at him playfully, "Your time is really that precious? When we were teenagers, we used to spend all day at the arcade and waste whole afternoons."

"I used to study at the arcade sometimes, unlike you," Darien retorted, then took out his cell phone. "You know, we should probably make this official."

He entered a text on his cell phone. A moment later, her phone gave a sound and she took it out, reading the message.

"June 19. Serena Tsukino owes Darien Chiba two hours," she read, then laughed, "Hey, that's not fair! We only went to the virtual arcade for an hour and a half!"

"Are you happy yet?" Darien challenged, "Are you ready to go home?"

"Of course not!" Serena exclaimed, "You already wrote down two hours – I'm going to use all of it. Come on, let's go get ice-cream. I can't even remember the last time I've had ice-cream."

Darien laughed, "I can't remember the last time I've watched you inhale ice-cream either, Meatball Head!"

She groaned, "Not that name again! After all these years! You know I hate that nickname!"

Darien got up on his feet, a smug grin on his face, "You heard me, Meatball Head."

Serena shrieked and stood up, lunging at him. He dodged her and she began to chase him across the grassy fields, laughing happily.

xxx

"I'm so glad you called," Seiya said, "Kakyuu's sleeping upstairs right now. What did you want to do?"

Serena looked at him, noticing how his face always seemed more handsome in the shadows. It was past midnight and the only light came from the streetlamps above them. She stood opposite him at the entrance of his apartment building.

"Can you walk me home?" Serena said softly.

"Of course," Seiya said, surprised.

He took her hand and they walked down the sidewalk. They walked in silence most of the way, and Serena glanced at him every once in a while, trying to memorize how he looked and how she felt about him.

Twenty minutes later, they had arrived at her place. Serena noted the faint smell of roses and tulips in the flower gardens, even though some were fading away from the changing weather.

Serena turned towards him and smiled.

"Seiya…" she whispered, "You remember that song you sang for me when you first came back to Earth? Can you sing it for me again?"

He grinned and nodded. He closed his eyes and began to sing softly.

_"In the brightly shining world of white,  
__With your wings spread out wide you are there.__  
But those wings are so black and heavy on you,  
That you look like you're being crushed by your destiny."_

Serena looked into his closed eyes, her own eyes filling with tears. She mouthed the words with him. When he was finished, he opened his eyes and saw that she was crying.

"Odango…", he said worriedly, "What's wrong?"

She sniffled."Seiya… I just walked with you for twenty minutes… But Kakyuu, she's walked with you for six years. You belong with her. It's not the two of you who should break up. It's us."

He shook his head, "Serena…"

"Please don't make this too difficult for me," Serena said with a sad smile, "Goodbye, Seiya."

She ran into her apartment building, not turning back to see him staring longingly after her.

xxx

Serena turned the television off tiredly, barely able to keep her eyes open. She turned towards Darien who had fallen asleep on her couch during the last film, his blanket falling past his shoulder and resting on his stomach.

They had spent the evening together at her apartment, watching movies and eating take-out. It was past midnight now and he had fallen asleep during the last film.

Her heart warmed.

She remembered how they were when they were dating, she always liked to watch him sleep. His face always looked so peaceful compared to during the day, when it was angular and stiff. His rising and lowering chest seemed to calm her down like nothing could. Somehow, she always felt warm and safe around him.

With a sigh, she got up and put the pizza boxes away, wincing when she dropped a box and it landed with a thud on the floor. She turned to look at Darien but he just grunted, shifting his head to face the other way.

Her cell phone vibrating interrupted her thoughts. Taking it into her bathroom, she looked at the caller ID.

With a frown, her finger hovered over the _Cancel _button. Then she sighed, impulsively pressing _Accept_.

"Seiya?"

"Serena… I've tried so hard to get over you, but I can't. Every time I close my eyes, I think about you and our time together. Serena, please… Don't give up on us."

"Seiya," Serena said, "I only picked up the phone to ask you to please stop calling me. I won't read your emails anymore, and I won't listen to your voice messages anymore. We need to have a clean break so I can finally… get over you…"

"See, Serena? I know that you're not over me yet. I miss you so much, and I know you miss me too. Please, let me be the bad guy for once. Let me choose you. I'd already decided to break up with Kakyuu. I only want to be with you..."

"Seiya, no… Stop, please…"

His voice grew desperate, "We can be so happy together, Serena."

She bit her lip, feeling her resolve break. "Seiya…"

xxx

Darien put his hands into his pockets as he and Serena walked down the steps together, heading out of the restaurant and into the main street. The sun was just dropping out of sight.

"Well, it's time you returned some of those hours you owe me," Darien said with a smile.

Serena turned to him, surprised, "You just had a failed relationship?"

Darien shook his head, "No, but I'm feeling pretty neglected these days. All Hotaru talks about these days is that boy in her class. She barely pays any attention to her big brother, and I'm starting to feel lonely. So, it's time for you to pay me back some interest on those hours. How does bicycling this Saturday sound?"

Serena smiled. Then she began hesitantly, "Darien… There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

He heard her cell phone ring.

"Excuse me," she said as pulled it out of her purse.

"Hey… I just had dinner with Hotaru and Darien. Oh, all right… I'll come meet you. That Vietnamese place? Okay, I'll see you there in a bit."

She turned off her phone awkwardly. They stopped walking.

Darien's gaze was downcast. Then he looked back up at her, staring into her eyes.

"You're back with Seiya?"

"I'm sorry, Darien."

He tried to smile, "It's okay, Serena, you don't have to explain anything to me. I just want to know… are you really happy?"

She avoided his eyes, "I've made my decision and I'm prepared to face the consequences. He says he's going to break up with Kakyuu and I believe him, Darien."

Darien sighed. "Serena… If… If you ever need me in the future, I'm here for you."

She smiled, "I know, Darien. I always appreciate everything you do for me…"

She closed her eyes, "To tell you the truth, last week when you fell asleep at my apartment after making me feel better about Seiya… for a second, I really wished that I could find those feelings back, the feelings I had for you when we were teenagers. It would make everything so much easier," she sighed, "But I can't. They're just not there anymore."

He forced himself to lift his voice, "It's okay, Serena. If we started dating again and we broke up, we wouldn't be great friends like we are today. I wouldn't have anyone to go to the virtual arcade with. I wouldn't have anyone to watch movies with. And I wouldn't be able to call you Meatball Head like we used to when we were kids."

She laughed.

"But Darien…" she said, "I want you to know that you really don't need to worry about me anymore. Yes, I still feel guilty about breaking up Seiya and Kakyuu. But after he leaves her, we can finally be together officially. I don't have to hide anymore. And I don't have to be the third person anymore. So it's okay, Darien, soon you won't have to waste your time comforting me anymore."

He smiled, but his eyes were still troubled, "All right, Serena."

xxx

Darien put his cup on the coffee table and turned on his laptop. He clicked on the single message in his inbox.

_Darien__,_

_I have good news: Seiya finally broke up with Kakyuu last week__!__ Since then, __we__'ve __been very happy together__. I know that __my __relationship __with Seiya __had a rocky start, but the hard part is over. __Darien__, __thank you for always being there for me. I'm so lucky to have a big brother like you. You'll be glad to know that you really don't have to worry about me anymore. Whatever troubles I face now, I won't be alone. I'll have Seiya. __I __know __you__'ll__ find someone special too. __N__obody deserves that more than you do._

_Hugs,  
Serena_

He clicked the "Reply" button.

_Serena,_

_A couple of weeks ago, when you said that you wish you could find those feelings you had for me when we were teenagers… I really wanted to tell you that for me, those feelings never went away. I want you to know__, __whether you're by yourself or you're with someone, my promise to you won't change – as long as you're __un__happy, I'll give you all of my time and energy until I can see you smile again. Even if you see me only as an older brother, I'll always feel the same way towards you as I did __when we were together__._

_I meant what I said: I still love you._

_Darien_

His mouse pointer hovered over the "Send" button for a few seconds. With a sigh, he moved it and clicked on "Delete".

---

Darien sighed. Another exhausting day at the hospital. He was grateful for his work though. At the end of a long work day seeing patients, his problems always seemed miniscule.

He climbed on to his motorcycle and was putting on his helmet when something in his rear mirror caught his eye.

He turned his head to look and his eyes widened.

Seiya and his redheaded girlfriend, his arm around her.

He felt like his insides tighten.

His fist clenched.

'How can he do that to Serena…?'

xxx

Darien took a deep breath as he saw Seiya come out of his apartment building.

He had been waiting for two hours, his car parked on the building driveway. The sidewalk was deserted, only a flickering lamp on the side of the road illuminating empty soft drink cans and gum wrappers on the pavement.

When Seiya approached, Darien got out of his car and grabbed the younger man by his shirt collar, surprising him.

"Seiya," he said venomously, "I saw you with your old girlfriend."

Seiya stared wide-eyed at him, "Darien? I-"

"How can you do this to Serena!?" Darien shouted, "Do you know how many times I've seen her cry over you? Do you know how unfair this is on her?"

Seiya shook him off angrily, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I saw you go into your apartment building with that other girl," Darien said furiously. He frowned, "Come on, I'm bringing you upstairs to your flat so you can break up with her."

He grabbed Seiya by the arm and dragged him towards his apartment building.

"No, it's not what you're thinking!" Seiya protested.

Darien stopped, "You won't do it? Fine, then I'll drive you to see Serena so you can tell her you've been cheating on her and that you're letting her go!"

Darien pulled him by his arm sleeve towards his car and Seiya pushed him away.

"Just stay out of this!" Seiya yelled, "You don't know the whole story, okay!? I can't break up with Kakyuu, I'm all she's got!"

"You think you're being the nice guy?" Darien shouted, "You think you're being responsible towards Kakyuu!? You're just hurting both of them! You're not treating Serena the way she deserves to be treated. You can't be selfish like this, Seiya! If you really care about someone, you want her to be happy, laughing all the time. You never want to see her cry!

He felt hot tears on the edge of his eyes, "This last week, I've never seen Serena so happy since you came back to Tokyo! She thinks that you're finally her boyfriend! She thinks she can finally stop feeling guilty! She doesn't know that you're still cheating on her, that she's still a third person in your relationship!"

Seiya looked away, lowering his gaze to avoid Darien's intense gaze, "I… I know… I know that this is wrong. I just need a little more time to break up with Kakyuu. Please, don't tell Serena I'm still seeing Kakyuu. Just give me a few more days. I'll fix this, I promise. I'll really break up with Kakyuu."

Darien looked at him hesitantly, his eyes still furious.

"Please, Darien."

---

_Please review!_


	4. Chapter 4 of 6

_AN: I'm so excited to be posting this chapter! Thank you for all your comments. Some of your feedback is actually making me reconsider the ending, but we'll see when we get there. Disclaimer: I do not own Sailormoon, and the idea for this story comes largely from Moonlight Resonance. Please enjoy the chapter!_

**The Good Guy  
By Phantasy Star  
Chapter Four**

"I broke up with Kakyuu."

Darien sat across the café table from Seiya, two cups of black coffee between them.

His eyes searched Seiya's. The younger man seemed sincere, determined.

"I know that I wasn't being fair to Serena," Seiya admitted, "Kakyuu is heading back to my home planet Kinmoku tonight. I thought you'd like to know that."

Darien put his cup down in front of him.

"You really don't owe me any explanations," he said quietly, "As long as you treat Serena well, as long as you really care about her, then that's good enough for me."

Seiya nodded, "I… I want to thank you for being with her all this time, making sure she's okay. I'm glad that she has you. I know how much you care about her. Don't worry, I guarantee that I'll be good to her."

Darien's eyes were distracted by the rain outside the window, not sure when it had started.

He turned back to face Seiya.

He forced a smile, "Then… then I wish you two the best."

xxx

"So, what's this Seiya really like?"

Darien chuckled, "So you didn't invite me over just to feed me after all."

He watched Ikuko sigh. She put the last dish on the kitchen table and took off her apron, hanging it up next to the fridge. Then she sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry for the ulterior motive, Darien," she said, "But Serena hardly says a word about Seiya, and… well, ever since she started dating him, she hasn't really been herself. Every time she comes home for dinner, her mind seems to be someplace else."

Darien looked at down at his plate uncomfortably, "Well, uh… Seiya. Serena seems to really like him, and that's the most important thing."

Ikuko frowned. She looked like she wanted to press on, but changed her mind.

"You know…" she said slowly, "I've always wanted you for Serena."

Darien looked up, surprised.

"It's not because that you're a doctor, or because I know my grandkids would be gorgeous…" she muttered, "I mean, those are reasons, but not the most important one. I wanted you and Serena to end up together because, well, I felt safe knowing you were with her. You have character and integrity."

He didn't know how to respond.

"After this whole thing with Kenji leaving me for a younger woman, I just really… I really want Serena to have someone who would always cherish her. And that's the feeling I get from you, that you're always looking out for her."

He looked at her with a small smile.

"I'll look out for Serena no matter what, Mrs. Tsukino."

Ikuko returned his smile, "I know, Darien. And I'm grateful for that."

xxx

"Two Hawaiian pizzas, three orders of chicken wings, two orders of bread sticks and two large Cokes please!" Serena said cheerfully.

After the surprised waiter had walked away to fill their order, Darien laughed.

"Are you sure we can finish all that?"

Serena grinned, "Of course. Oh, I'm just so happy today! Kakyuu is leaving Kinmoku tonight. After today, I don't have to worry about being seen with Seiya. I don't have to feel guilty anymore." She smiled, "I really hope Princess Kakyuu finds happiness back home. I hope she'll be as happy as I am."

Darien chuckled, "And I hope we won't gain ten pounds each tonight."

Serena was about to protest when Darien's cell phone signalled a text message. He took it out of his shirt pocket.

_Darien__, I changed my mind. I'm leaving for my home planet tonight with Kakyuu. I don't think I will ever come back to Earth again. Please don't tell Serena before I'm gone. And, please take care of her in my place. – Seiya._

Darien's eyes widened.

"Is something wrong?" Serena asked.

He shook his head, "No, nothing," he lied, "Andrew says he's having a great time at that hospital party. He… he says he hopes we're having as much fun as he is."

Serena smiled. The waiter came back with a plate of chicken wings and set it in the middle of the table.

"That reminds me," Serena said cheerfully, "I was thinking of making chicken wings for Mom's birthday dinner next week."

Darien frowned, "You know how to make chicken wings? Or to cook anything, for that matter?"

"It's not just me cooking, baka," Serena scolded, "You'd be surprised, but Seiya isn't just talented at singing. He's a pretty great chef too. I figured if he comes over and helps me cook mom her birthday dinner, she'll finally change her mind about him. You know, Mom has always had trouble accepting him. I really want her to like him."

Darien nodded silently.

"Oh well," Serena smiled, "I'm sure they'll get along someday. Seiya's great."

She looked at her watch and smiled wistfully, "Princess Kakyuu should be on the school rooftop heading back to her home planet right about now... And then Seiya and I can finally be together officially. I can't wait…"

Darien turned away hesitantly.

"Darien…?" she said, noticing the concern in his dark blue eyes.

He turned to her and looked at her, speaking intensely, "Serena, Princess Kakyuu isn't the only one going back to their home planet. Seiya is going back too."

"What?" Serena said, an unbelieving smile on her face, "What are you talking about?"

"Come on, we don't have any time to waste. We can still catch up with him and change his mind!" Darien said urgently, then turned to the waiter, "Cheque please!"

---

Serena raced out of the elevator on to the top floor with Darien close behind her, swinging the roof door open and running out in the open area. They looked out just in time to see a beam of light taking a figure into the sky. Princess Kakyuu had just disappeared into the clouds.

She gasped when she saw Seiya standing alone at the center of the rooftop, a beam of light shining down at him.

Seiya froze when he saw Serena, tears streaming down her face as she tried to catch her breath.

Images of the past weeks with Seiya flashed through her mind. His promises to her echoed painfully.

_"I couldn't stop thinking about you. Even though I love my home planet, I know that Kinmoku is no longer my home. It didn't matter how much effort I put into rebuilding Kinmoku, I knew I would never be happy there. Odango… My home is Earth, here with you. And to answer your last question… Whether or not I stay here for good depends entirely on you._

_"Do you know how long I've been dreaming about this? To be able to come back and be with you? I've been waiting for seven years, Odango._

_"See, Serena? I know that you're not over me yet. I miss you so much, and I know you miss me too. Please, let me be the bad guy for once. Let me choose you. I'd already decided to break up with Kakyuu. I only want to be with you..."_

Her heart felt like it was on fire.

"I'm sorry, Serena," he mouthed silently, "Goodbye."

Serena shook her head, running towards him. She felt Darien grab her wrist to hold her back.

"Seiya!" she cried, "Seiya!"

He only kept his strong gaze fixated on her, his eyes ashamed.

Then she gasped as, in a flash, he shot upwards and disappeared into the sky.

Serena clasped her hand over her mouth and broke down, collapsing on to the floor in tears.

"Serena," Darien whispered.

"No," she cried as she clutched on to the bottom of Darien's jeans tightly, "Why is he leaving me? Why?"

"Serena… Serena, come on… Don't cry…"

She felt him kneel down next to her, and she fell against him, her head on his shoulder.

"Why?" Serena repeated through her tears, "I don't want to lose him…"

"Serena… It's all right… Serena…"

xxx

Darien stood with a cup of coffee in his hand, the slight breeze comfortable against his doctor's coat. He looked out at the sunset on the hospital rooftop with Serena next to him.

"It's been two weeks…" he said quietly, "How are you doing? Are you still mad at Seiya for leaving?"

"It's different everyday," she said softly, "Some days I really hate him. He just left without a word, didn't even break up with me officially. He didn't make up any sort of an excuse. Don't you think that's really irresponsible? Sometimes I really feel like he really abandoned me."

He nodded, frowning.

"But then sometimes," she continued, "Sometimes I think that he didn't do anything wrong. I knew he had a long history with Princess Kakyuu before I got serious with him. I knew what I was getting into. He never really lied to me."

He watched as tears appeared in her eyes. He realized that he had seen her cry far too many times in the past two months.

"I'm so pathetic," she said, her voice breaking, "There are so many more important things to think about, like my social work patients… Why can't I concentrate on caring for them? On their cases? Why am I just wasting all my time thinking about Seiya? It's useless…"

She sniffled.

"It isn't useless," Darien said anxiously, "At least you're being brave and facing the situation now. Before, you weren't being honest with yourself."

His eyes widened when she clutched his body abruptly and rested her head on his shoulder, tears falling, "Darien! I miss Seiya so much!"

"Serena…" he whispered.

"I can't get over him!" Serena said desperately, "Why can't I get over him?"

His brows furrowed.

"Serena, you're a social worker," Darien said, "You should know that no emotional wound heals quickly. They go away with time. Tell you what, from now on, everyday you'll hand in homework to me. Write down everything that you're unhappy about."

Serena nodded, pulling away and trying to dry her eyes.

"All right. Then I'll look to you as my doctor, Darien. I'll give you a patient update everyday."

Darien smiled sadly, "Good. Now come on, stop crying."

She nodded, sniffling.

He touched her cheek and wiped away the last tear, "I promise, it'll be all right."

xxx

Serena sat at her desk, the lamp giving the only light in the otherwise darkened room. She typed with a small smile on her face.

_October 20. Today was a good day. I didn't think about Seiya at all. Only when I was waiting for the bus did I think about him briefly. The rest of the day flew by in a blur, I was so busy with my social work cases. I give myself a score of… 80!_

---

Darien took a sip of his coffee as he read the new email in his inbox.

_October 22. Dr. Chiba, today was a particularly bad day. I walked by the auditorium where Seiya took me the first night I knew he was back, when he sang for me. It brought back all these memories. At that moment, when he was singing for me, I really thought this was it, that maybe we would be together forever. I give myself 50 today, a bare pass. Oh well, like you said, I'm not going to get better all of a sudden. I'll work hard, __Darien__, I promise._

_November 5. I went with Molly back to our high school today to visit some of our old teachers. I went up to the roof, to the spot where Seiya left. I didn't feel like crying or anything. I think I'm finally starting to let go. I give myself 75!_

_November 14. This is my tenth report to you, Dr. Chiba. Today I got a failing score. I was cleaning out my closet today and found the pair of shoes Seiya got me when we first started going out. I started crying and couldn't stop. I still miss him. A lot. 40._

_December 4. It's been a month and a half since Seiya left. Melvin wanted to try a new Korean restaurant and I agreed to go with him. I was surprised that it was next to Seiya's apartment, but even more surprised when I realized that I didn't even flinch when I walked past. I think I'm really starting to let go. At least I hope so. When I got home, I finally deleted Seiya's number from my phone. I tried to remember the sound his voice, but for some reason, I can't. You should be proud, Dr. Chiba. I give myself a score of 90._

The dull blue hue from the monitor reflected faintly off of Darien's face as he scrolled down the pages. He smiled.

xxx

"Good evening, sir. My name is Dr. Chiba. I'm going to be your doctor."

He picked up the hospital chart, looking for the patient name.

"Darien Chiba?"

He glanced up, studying the fifty-year-old patient's face to find the brown eyes familiar. He recognized the voice too, but still couldn't remember who the man was. He checked the chart and his eyes widened. _Kenji Tsukino._

"Mr. Tsukino?" Darien said incredulously.

He was surprised at how much Serena's father had changed. His face was lined with wrinkles, his eyes a much duller color than he remembered. His hair, which had always been completely black, had started to gray. In six years, Kenji seemed to have aged twenty.

The older man glared at him, "I never thought I'd see you again."

Darien swallowed, "Does Serena know you're here?"

"You're still in contact with my daughter?" Kenji said, surprised. Then he looked downwards, "No, she doesn't know. I haven't spoken to her or Ikuko for five years."

Darien looked at the chart.

Lung cancer. Stage III.

Low chance of survival.

"You think I deserve this, don't you?"

Darien didn't know how to respond.

"I'm not in the position to judge you, Mr. Tsukino," he said.

"You'd be right. I do deserve this…" Kenji said bitterly, "Along with everything else that's happened to me in the past few years. My new wife, she ran off with another man. She took everything I had, everything. And then I get a call from my doctor, saying that my check-up wasn't exactly normal. A visit with an oncologist later, I get admitted to the hospital with stage three cancer. And I run into you, of all people."

Darien couldn't help but feel sympathy for the older man. He had always hated Kenji for abandoning Serena, for causing her and Ikuko so much pain. But now he looked so defeated.

Darien cleared his throat, "Serena works here. She's a social worker now, and she works out of this hospital sometimes. If you don't want to see her, you should be careful. Although, if it were me, I'd talk to her. I'd tell her I'm sorry for walking out on her."

"It's not that simple," Kenji said grimly, "She hates me. My family hates me, and they should. I abandoned them."

He took a deep breath, "I can't treat you, Mr. Tsukino. I can't be objective in helping you choose a treatment. I'll get another resident to cover your case."

"I might not even go for a treatment," Kenji said bitterly, "Maybe I'll just lie here and wait to die."

Darien stood at the doorway, looking pensively at him.

"Serena still talks about you sometimes," Darien said quietly, "She still wonders why you could do this to her mother. I think she's still waiting for that apology."

Kenji looked surprised.

"Think about it," Darien said.

He was about to walk out of the room when the heart monitor began to speed up. He looked back and his eyes widened. Mr. Tsukino gasped for air, his face turning red. His whole body throttled upwards.

"Nurses!" Darien shouted.

---

Darien rushed down the hallway alongside the stretcher, as the orderlies wheeled Kenji into the operating room. The double doors closed, and Darien looked down at him.

"Mr. Tsukino, I have to perform an emergency operation on you to relieve the pressure from your chest."

The oxygen mask over Mr. Tsukino filled with steam.

Darien put his hand on the older man's shoulder and looked into his half-closed eyes.

"Mr. Tsukino, you have to fight to live," Darien whispered urgently, "Serena needs to know that you regret what you did. She needs that apology from you. I know you never liked me, and you were part of the reason Serena and I broke up. But I know it's only because you love your daughter and you want to protect her, and I respect you for that. You made a huge mistake leaving her but it isn't too late."

Kenji lifted his head to gave a weak nod.

"If, at any time, you see a bright light, don't go towards it," Darien said, "You have to get through this. For Serena and for Mrs. Tsukino."

xxx

Darien and Serena stood outside Kenji's room, looking in.

"Do you want to see him?" Darien asked quietly.

Serena hesitated.

"I don't know. This whole thing is too sudden. I thought I'd never see him again, and now he's not only here, but he has cancer. I don't know what to think."

Darien turned towards her, "Mr. Tsukino may not survive the night… Serena, try to forgive him. If you don't, you might regret it for the rest of your life. Just a while ago, you said you still missed him."

Serena closed her eyes, a confused expression on her face, "I… I kind of feel the same way towards him as I do towards Seiya. One moment I really hate him for abandoning me. And then the next, I realize I really miss him." Her voice broke, "Darien… why do the people I care about all leave me eventually?"

Darien's eyes were pained, "Serena…"

"I should go in…" she said with a nod to encourage herself, "I… I don't know what I'll say, but I'll go in."

---

"Serena…" Kenji rasped, "Serena, you came to see me."

She stood a few feet away from his bed. She nodded slowly.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart… I'm so sorry for everything I did," Kenji said brokenly, "I made the world's biggest mistake leaving you and Sammy, and there isn't a day that I don't regret what I did."

Serena remained silent, her eyes pensive.

"I… I might not have long to live, Serena," Kenji said, looking into her eyes, "Darien, he's really a good kid. He really cares about you. A few years ago, I gave him a hard time dating you. I really regret that now. Knowing that he's by your side, I can go without any worries."

She walked a little closer, eventually putting her hand in his.

Joyful tears ran down his face.

"Serena…"

"Dad," she whispered, "Get some rest, Dad."

---

Serena walked tiredly down the hospital stairs. Seeing her father again brought back all her memories of him leaving her, punctuated by Seiya's departure half a year ago. But she could tell he was sincere when he said apologized to her. Darien was right, it was better that she let him know she forgave him, whether she truly wholeheartedly did or not.

Before she left, the covering doctor told her his condition had improved, and she found herself grateful.

She was about to turn to walk to the bus station when she noticed Darien's car, parked at the bottom of the hospital stairs.

She approached it and saw that he was sleeping in the driver's seat.

Glancing at her watch, she noticed that he should have left three hours ago after his shift. He was waiting for her again.

Her heart warmed.

Throughout everything there was only one person who had always been there for her, wanting the best for her. Familiar feelings rushed back. She always felt warm around him, comfortable. Her father was right. He was the only one who really made her feel safe.

She studied his face, the strong jaw, the kind eyes.

Maybe she didn't want the drama of romance anymore. Maybe she just wanted to be happy, to be loved.

She opened the car door carefully, wincing when it made a small noise. She climbed inside as quietly as she could and gently pulled the door shut.

Darien stirred, mumbling something and then turning towards her, surprised.

"Hey," she smiled, "What are you still doing here?"

He yawned, blinking, "I didn't think you should go home by yourself today, after everything that happened. Beside, it's eleven o'clock, it's dangerous for a girl to go home by herself. If people saw your exhausted face they might get scared, you know."

She glared at him jokingly.

"Darien, can we go get something to eat?"

He frowned, "At this time of night? Shouldn't you be home getting some sleep?"

"I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. Things went well with my dad, and the last doctor on call said he has a twenty percent chance of survival. I'm probably going to end up thinking about him all night."

Darien nodded, "All right, what do you want to eat?"

Serena paused thoughtfully. She studied the side of his face, surprised to find her heart pounding. Her voice was nervous.

"I… I want to eat chocolates."

He frowned, "You mean buy chocolates from a convenience store and eat it in the car?"

She shook her head, "No, it has to be a box of my favorite chocolates. With roses next to them."

His eyes widened.

Serena blushed furiously as she continued, "The last time you gave me those chocolates, I… I didn't really eat them. This time I want us to open the box and eat it together."

She saw him grin.

"You got it!" he exclaimed, "Not tonight though… I can't find those chocolates that quickly. Friday! Friday night at nine, we'll meet at our bench at the park and I'll bring it to you."

"All right," Serena smiled.

"For now we'll just settle with Hawaiian Pizza, all right?"

She laughed, "Sure!"

xxx

Serena rode the mall escalator and checked her shopping bags to make sure she didn't leave any behind at a store. She glanced at her watch. It was only seven o'clock.

Her phone rang. She looked at the caller I.D. and smiled.

"Hey, Darien. What's up?"

His voice was cheerful. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't forget about our meeting tonight."

"What meeting?" she said, feigning disinterest, "I was supposed to see you tonight?"

"Oh, you weren't?" he said, "Well, okay then, I'll just give these chocolates to Hotaru."

"Fine," she giggled, "Give them to another girl, I don't care. Just don't get mad when I Moon Tiara you when you're not paying attention."

She heard him laugh.

"I wouldn't want that. Remember, nine o'clock."

"I know, I know," she smiled, "I'm going to-"

Serena froze.

One of her shopping bags dropped down on to the floor.

_Seiya._

He was dressed in his usual red suit, his hair more dishevelled than usual. His face was tense. It seemed like he was looking for something, or someone.

Her heart pounded heavily.

_What is he doing here? Why is he back? When? Why didn't he tell me?_

"Serena?"

She blinked, clutching the phone to her ear.

"Serena, are you there?" she heard Darien's worried voice.

She nodded, then realized he couldn't see her.

"Yeah… yeah I'm here," Serena said, disconcerted, "I'll… I'll see you tonight then."

"All right," Darien said, then added smilingly, "Don't be late."

"Okay, 'bye."

She clicked her phone shut and picked up the shopping bag she had dropped. Her eyes scanned frantically for Seiya, and she spotted him again in the crowds.

Not sure herself what she wanted to do, she walked quickly to follow him.

---

_Please don't hate me! And please review!_


	5. Chapter 5 of 6

_AN: Okay, my apologies for the terrible cliffie last time. Thank you for all of your reviews for last chapter though! I worked overtime to get this chapter out just for you guys (this chapter was insanely hard to write, you'll see why when you read it). Sigh… second-last chapter already, I'm going to miss writing/editing this 'fic. **Usual disclaimer: I do not own Sailormoon, and this story is partially inspired by Moonlight Resonance **(second son and doctor girl's relationship, so much potential but so little development)._

**The Good Guy  
****By Phantasy Star  
Chapter Five**

Darien glanced at his watch again. 9:25.

He sat at the park bench, the box of chocolates held carefully in both hands. The back of the bench felt cold to his back through his thin shirt, and the cool night air felt comfortable against his arms.

He smiled when he saw Serena running towards him. He stood up.

"Darien, I'm sorry I'm late," she said breathlessly, "Why didn't you call me? Weren't you afraid I wouldn't come?"

He shrugged, "I only waited for you for half an hour. I've waited for you for six years, I don't mind another thirty minutes. Besides, you're here now, aren't you?"

She gave him a small smile. Then she took his hand.

"Darien, there's something I want to tell you."

He nodded. She led him to the bench and they sat down together. Her blue eyes looked deep into his, and he gazed gently back.

"Darien, I came late today because… I ran into somebody," Serena said, taking a deep breath, "It's Seiya…"

Darien felt his stomach knotting.

"I saw him at the mall when you called me earlier today…" Serena continued, "I got curious and followed him, but then I lost him in the crowds. Afterwards, I wandered into a records store and it happened to be playing one of his songs… I don't know why, but I stayed and listened to the whole CD. I wasn't paying attention to the time."

Darien nodded cautiously.

Serena smiled and took a deep breath.

"Today, Dr. Chiba, I want to give you my final report," she said, squeezing his hand, "I was listening to Seiya's voice singing the most romantic songs in the world, the same songs he used to sing to me when we were together. But… while I was listening to the lyrics, I was thinking about somebody else…

Her voice fell to a whisper, "I was thinking… did he arrive yet? Did he bring the chocolates? Did he write the same message for me?"

She smiled, "Don't you think I deserve 100 today, Dr. Chiba?"

He grinned.

"All right," he announced, "Then your prize is to eat this whole box."

He opened the box to her and lifted to her, and watched as her eyes fell to the note in the middle.

_I love you forever._

She smiled, a look of surprise on her face, "Why isn't it _I still love you _like last time?"

"Don't think I forgot what I wrote the last time," Darien said earnestly, "At first, I did write _I still love you. _But then I realized, I don't want to focus on the past anymore. This isn't about us dating as teenagers, or about Sailormoon or Tuxedomask. This is about us right now. Our present… and our future."

His expression turned serious, his voice becoming quiet.

"Serena… Last week, you were asking me why all the important people in your life leave you eventually… At that moment, I wanted to tell you that I would never walk away from you. Even if I have to wait for you until you're seventy, I wouldn't let go. Serena, sometimes I feel like my entire purpose for living is to look after you."

She smiled, blushing. She looked shyly at him as he put one hand on her shoulder, and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

When he pulled away, their eyes met and he leaned forwards, his lips meeting hers in a gentle kiss.

The moon hung brightly in the sky.

xxx

"Serena!" Ikuko exclaimed, "Why are you letting Darien cook? He's tired enough after a day at the hospital! I'm sure he's great with a scalpel, but with a kitchen knife…"

She watched as Serena put the chicken into the pot while Darien cut up the carrots. She usually never allowed anyone into her kitchen, but this was an exception she was happy to make.

"I didn't want to let him, but he insisted," Serena complained with a smile, "But don't worry, curry is one of his stronger dishes."

A few moments later, they had sat down together with Sammy at the dinner table.

"Hey Mom, did you visit Dad today?" Sammy asked.

Ikuko gave him a small smile, "Yes. His operation was a success. It's almost like a miracle, since the success rate was only twenty percent. He's actually going to be leaving the hospital soon – he'll be staying in an inn close to here." Ikuko paused, "Sammy, are you okay with all of this?"

He thought for a while, then looked at her with a serious expression, "You know, Mom, a month ago if you'd asked me the same question, I'd have said no way, you shouldn't let him back into your life. After what he did to you, I… I just want to punch him out, you know? But… when I went to the hospital last week to yell at him, he… he was crying and everything. It seems like he's really sorry."

Ikuko looked at him, surprised, "What are you saying, Sammy?"

"I guess I'm saying… If you decide to forgive him, I'd be okay with it."

"I'll keep that in mind, Sammy," Ikuko smiled, then brightened, "Now, why don't we try some of Serena and Darien's cooking?"

As she started handing out the chopsticks, Sammy looked at Serena mischievously.

"We can certainly try it, but I'm not so sure we'll like it," Sammy smirked, "I was walking by the kitchen earlier, and Serena and Darien weren't exactly too focused on cooking."

"Oh?" Ikuko said, amused.

"This is what I heard," he said, pointing to Serena and using a high voice, "'Hey Darien, do you think I like you more or you like me more?'"

Serena's face reddened.

Sammy thrust a thumb against Darien, his voice turning deep, "'Of course I like you more… Meatball Head.'"

Darien coughed uncomfortably.

Sammy shrugged, "And then he started kissing her."

"Sammy!" Ikuko scolded, although she couldn't help laughing, "Stop making fun of your sister and Darien! Or else he won't come with her the next time you guys are home for dinner."

As Serena berated Sammy and Darien tried to keep the two apart, Ikuko sighed contentedly. She was glad her daughter had finally found the happiness she had been missing out on all these years. She glanced at Darien.

That boy could make her happy.

xxx

"Come on, Darien, let me stay in the car for another ten minutes."

"Serena," he said exasperated, "You're supposed to report to work at 7am."

They sat in Darien's car parked outside the hospital, eating a quick breakfast of muffins and coffee before Serena had an early shift. The sun had barely risen, filling the car with a mild orange haze.

"I'll run upstairs," she pleaded.

He chuckled.

"Oh, I almost forgot," he said, "I got you something."

He reached to the backseat and produced a bouquet of yellow roses, holding them towards her with a grin.

"They're gorgeous!" she exclaimed, taking them from his hands.

Then she added smilingly, "But Darien… Do you know what yellow roses mean?"

He shook his head.

"Yellow roses represents lost love. You want to experience lost love?"

He frowned, "Oh. Well, then, give them back."

She laughed as she pulled them away, "No way, I love them!"

She leaned forwards and kissed him on the forehead.

He smiled at her.

"Have a good day at work, Serena."

"You too, Darien. I'll call you tonight when I get home."

xxx

_Meet at the hospital rooftop._

Serena frowned as she read the text message again. _Unknown sender. _She hesitated. Could it be Seiya? Did she really want to see him? She glanced at her watch. It was close to her lunch break anyway.

Finally making a decision, she climbed the stairs to the hospital rooftop and pushed the door open.

She gasped.

"Michiru! Haruka!" she exclaimed.

"Hey, Odango," the blond-haired Senshi said with a small smile. Michiru nodded politely, but her eyes were serious. They looked the same as when she had seen them over a year ago.

"I haven't seen you guys for so long!" Serena said, "What are you doing here?"

"Serena…" Michiru said, "It's good to see you again. I just wish we brought better news…"

Haruka looked directly at her, her blue eyes darkening.

"Chaos is back."

Serena felt her blood run cold. The word itself seemed foreign to her. Images of the last battle seven years ago flooded into her mind. The loss of her friends, the destruction of the city, the evil in Galaxia's eyes before she was purified.

"What?" Serena stammered, "How?"

"We're not sure," Michiru admitted, "But we do know that it's taken over the body of a Sailorsenshi. It calls itself Sailorchaos now. She and a band of rogue Senshi started collecting Heart Crystals in Tokyo last week. They seem pretty powerful, Serena. Setsuna even asked Sailorfighter and the others to come back to help, although we think they'll just get in our way."

"Did… did Princess Kakyuu come back with them?" Serena asked.

Michiru glanced at Haruka, and the blond-haired Senshi nodded her consent.

Michiru looked at Serena with sad eyes, "Princess Kakyuu is dead. Her body was weak after she used the _Ginzuishō_a few years ago. Her injuries finally caught up with her, and she died five months ago."

"What?" Serena whispered, "Five months ago… That's only a month after she went back to Kinmoku."

"Anyway, Odango," Haruka said gravely, "We may have to become Sailorsenshi again to protect Tokyo. You should be ready to fight."

"We're going to talk to Darien now to deliver the news," Michiru said, "Please be careful, Serena."

Serena nodded absently, still waiting for the information to sink in.

As the two Senshi jumped on to the next building and disappeared from her sight, Serena was left staring wonderingly at the wide expanse of the sky.

xxx

Serena raised her hand again hesitantly. Should she really be here?

She shook her head, clearing away her thoughts. He needed her help. And she needed the truth.

She knocked.

"Odango?"

She looked up at his surprised as he held the door open. Almost immediately, his eyes became dark and emotionless again. He was unshaven, his hair messy. Behind him, she noticed that his previously beautiful apartment was a mess.

"Can I come in?" she asked quietly.

He didn't move, blocking her with his larger frame. "Michiru and Haruka told me they'd warn you about Chaos. I… I don't have anything to say to you."

"Seiya," Serena said softly, "They told me everything… They told me that Kakyuu passed away a few months ago, not long after you went with her back to Kinmoku… I don't understand… A month after you went back, I heard from Setsuna that you and Kakyuu had gotten married."

"I don't have anything to say to you," Seiya repeated, "Please go."

"No, Seiya, I'm not leaving," Serena insisted, "Do you know how long it took me to get over you? Even now, so many months after you left me, I still carry a question mark in my heart. Why did you leave without saying goodbye? What really happened? If you chose Kakyuu over me, why couldn't you just tell me?"

"I didn't choose Kakyuu over you!" Seiya yelled.

She took a step back, surprise marking her face.

"What?" she said, barely audible.

"I… I didn't choose Kakyuu…" he said softly, "I…"

His eyes were pained.

"Kakyuu really was supposed to leave Tokyo alone," he said bitterly, "But that morning before she was supposed to go, she fainted. When she recovered, she told me over and over that she was fine. She told me that she was actually relieved to be going back home, and she wanted you and me to be happy together.

His eyes turned angry and distressed, "She didn't sound like herself, so I spent an hour trying to get her to talk, and she finally admitted it. She had been feeling sick for weeks now, but she kept it from me. She had always felt her energy draining away from her, ever since we had revived her back in Kinmoku. She knew that her time was coming so she was prepared to go back to Kinmoku to die alone.

He shook his head, "I couldn't let her do that. I couldn't let her go by herself. I made a promise to her that I would never abandon her. I was all that she had. I had to be there with her when she was at her worst.

"After we got back to Kinmoku, I spent all my time with Kakyuu, trying to find ways to help her. I lied and told Setsuna that I had married Kakyuu, because I wanted you to forget about me. I'd already caused you enough pain…"

"Seiya…" Serena whispered, dumbstruck.

"A month later, she had grown so weak," Seiya said, biting back tears, "I couldn't save her after all."

Serena felt her own eyes growing wet.

She gasped as he pulled her abruptly against him.

He whispered it in her ear, "Odango… When I left, I didn't tell you why because, I was hoping that if I were cruel to you, it would be easier for you to forget about me. But the truth is, I'm the one who was never able to forget about you. Even after everything, all I could think about was you. You never left my heart, Serena."

She felt her pulse quicken as it often did when he was close to her.

"I know how much I owe Kakyuu," he said softly, "But I also know who I really love."

Her phone rang.

Disoriented, she pulled away from him and took her cell phone out of her purse, checking the caller ID. She pressed it to her ear.

"Serena," Darien's concerned voice came over, "Michiru and Haruka just told me everything. How are you digesting the news?"

"I'm… I'm okay."

"Good. Are you home right now?"

"Yes…" she lied hesitantly, "I just got in through the door."

"Serena, are you all right? You don't sound like yourself."

"I… I have a bit of a headache, I guess," she said softly, "I'm walking to the kitchen right now to get some aspirin."

"All right," Darien said, "You should stay home. I'll come find you in a bit, okay?"

"Okay… 'Bye, Darien."

She clicked her phone shut and her eyes rested on Seiya uncomfortably.

"I should go," she said quietly.

He nodded.

She closed her eyes as she walked away from him, her heart heavy.

xxx

"Hotaru!" Darien said into his phone, relieved. "Good, I'm glad I finally got a hold of you."

"I just got off of school. What's going on, Dar Dar?"

He was driving down the street, his eyes scanning the intersection.

"Hotaru, you need to be brave," he said anxiously, "Tokyo might be under attack again very soon. You should stay home with Setsuna whenever you can, so that she can keep you safe."

"Setsuna says she'll be out tonight patrolling the city, with Michiru and Haruka."

Darien sighed worriedly.

"Well, why don't you to go to Serena's apartment for now? I'm going to meet her there tonight anyway. You remember where her apartment is, right?"

"Yes. I know that the key is under the doormat."

"Good, but you shouldn't need it. She's at home right now. Please be careful, okay, Hotaru?"

"I will, Dar Dar. I'll see you soon."

"Okay. 'Bye, Hotaru."

xxx

Serena turned the key to her apartment and stepped inside, her thoughts wandering towards Seiya's story. He had lied to her to protect her. He had told her he was married so that she could let him go.

She sighed.

Why did he have to come back just when she and Darien had gotten off to such a great start?

She turned on the lamp absentmindedly and froze. Her eyes flew towards the broken window in the corner of the room, then the floor covered with books from the fallen bookshelf.

Then her eyes widened in horror.

"Hotaru!" she shouted, running to the girl's side.

The twelve-year-old girl was lying on her side on the ground. Her short black hair was in disarray, and her face was pale. Serena gasped when she noticed the obvious wound on her shoulder. She was unconscious.

"Hotaru, wake up!" Serena exclaimed, but the girl made no response.

She took out her cell phone, her hands trembling.

"I need an ambulance, please!"

xxx

Serena sat across the hospital cafeteria table from Darien. It was eight o'clock. The cafeteria was closed and the lights were dim. They sat alone, an unsettling silence between them.

"Darien, don't be like this…" Serena whispered worriedly as she put her hand over his, "The doctors said Hotaru will be okay. The surgery was a success, they just need to monitor her for a few days."

"I couldn't protect her," he said bitterly, his hand running through his short hair angrily, "She's just a little girl… scared, defenceless… Chaos got to her, and I couldn't stop it."

"Darien," she said, her heart breaking for him, "It's not you fault."

"Serena… I don't understand…" he said anxiously as his gaze rose to meet hers, "When I told Hotaru to head to your apartment, I had just gotten off the phone with you. You said you were at home."

"I… I wasn't… I wasn't there."

He shook his head, "But you told me over the phone that you had just stepped through the door. You said you had a headache, so you were going into the kitchen to take an aspirin."

"I'm sorry, Darien… I wasn't home."

Darien shook his head, confused, "What's going on, Serena? Where were you?"

"I… We shouldn't talk about this now," Serena stammered, trying to avoid his intense eyes, "There are a lot of more important things to worry about. I… I don't know what happened to Hotaru, Darien. You have to believe me."

Darien stood up abruptly, and she looked up at him in surprise.

"If you can't be honest with me, I guess there's nothing else to say," he said gruffly.

"Wait, no, Darien, no…" Serena said, taking hold of his wrist, "I'll tell you."

He looked at her hesitantly, then sat back down, his eyes still fixated on the empty table.

"When you called me earlier today…" Serena began quietly. "I… I was with Seiya."

His eyes rose slowly to stare into hers questioningly. He wasn't blinking.

"It turns out that the reason he left without saying goodbye was because Kakyuu got sick," she said, "He went back with Kakyuu to be with her in her final days. He never said goodbye to me because… because he wanted me to put him out of his mind…

Serena's gaze fell, "A few months ago, when I heard that Seiya had married Kakyuu, that was a lie he told so that I could finally put down my feelings for him..."

Darien's voice was hard, withdrawn.

"So, you finally found out what you wanted to know for so long…" he said softly.

She shook her head.

"No, that's not what this is about. I stopped thinking about him a long time ago," she said defensively.

"Stop lying to yourself!" Darien said, his voice hushed with rising anger, "The truth is, after all this time, you still wonder why Seiya left without saying goodbye. You still think about him. If you don't feel anything towards him, you wouldn't have lied to me!"

"No, Darien," Serena said desperately, "I just didn't tell you I was with him because I didn't want you to get upset. I won't lie to you again, I promise."

He closed his eyes, hoping he wouldn't regret his next words.

"I think right now, you need some time to calm down and think about what you want."

Serena shook her head quickly, "I know exactly what I want, Darien. I don't need any time to think."

"Then let's just say that _I _need some time to calm down and think about what I want!" Darien said angrily, his shoulders feeling heavy, "I… I have to go. I want to go talk to Hotaru's doctors."

"Wait, no, Darien," Serena said, her eyes filling with tears as she held on to his hand.

He shook free from her grasp and walked away.

"Darien," she cried.

---

Serena knocked on his door again.

'Darien… Come on… where are you?'

It was late now, and his cell phone was still off. He wasn't home. He hadn't answered any of her messages.

She bit back tears.

She knew that she hadn't been fair to Darien in the past months. When he claimed he was happy to be her older brother, she really believed him. He had really spent all his time and energy helping her get over Seiya, expecting nothing in return. But some time between seeing her father again and Darien confessing his unchanging feelings for her, she had realized herself that he still cared about her as more than a friend.

She also realized that no matter how romantic and exciting Seiya was, there was no comparison. There was only one person who always put her above everything else, who always waited for her and protected her, even from the shadows.

She wished she had seen it earlier. But it wasn't too late. She would convince him. She would let him know that there was no doubt in her mind who she wanted.

Then an idea hit her. Smiling, she took out a pen from her purse and a piece of paper.

She started writing across the page.

_I choose you! I choose you! I choose you! I choose you_!  
_I choose you! I choose you! I choose you! I choose you_!  
_I choose you! I choose you! I choose you! I choose you_!  
_I choose you! I choose you! I choose you! I choose you_!  
_I choose you! I choose you! I choose you! I choose you_!  
_I choose you! I choose you! I choose you! I choose you_!  
_I choose you! I choose you! I choose you! I choose you_!  
_I choose you! I choose you! I choose you! I choose you_!

_Meatball Head_

She grinned as she drew a bunny next to where she had signed the note. Then she rummaged through her purse and found the stack of stickers she had bought for her pediatrics patients.

Carefully, she stuck the note to the door. She smiled.

When he got her message, he would know. He would know who she wanted. He would know who she really loved.

Then maybe he would forgive her.

xxx

Darien drove out of the hospital driveway. He had stayed by Hotaru's bedside until midnight, monitoring her post-surgery vitals until he was satisfied with the numbers. She was recovering quickly, as children often did.

His heart ached when he thought about Serena. He was simply angry that he couldn't protect Hotaru, and had taken it out on her. He wished he hadn't walked out on her at the hospital cafeteria.

But, it still lingered in his mind uncomfortably whether Serena still loved Seiya. He felt foolish thinking about this when Hotaru was lying on a hospital bed, and the citizens of Tokyo could be in danger. But he couldn't help it.

His eyes were worried as he stepped on the gas pedal, as the traffic light turned.

Serena had only wanted to be with him after Seiya had left Tokyo.

Who did she really want?

Did she really lie to him about being with Seiya just to protect him?

Now that Seiya was back, was he going to lose her?

He sighed.

'Which of us do you choose, Serena? Have you really put down your feelings for Seiya?'

He was turning the steering wheel when he heard a loud explosion.

His vision suddenly flooded with white.

For a second he felt nothing.

Then the cold, rough pavement of the street was against his face. A loud ringing filled his ear.

He tried to lift his head. All his muscles seemed to spasm simultaneously. He slowly became aware that he was no longer in his car – he was lying facedown on the ground. He turned his head slowly and painfully. The heat he felt was coming from his car, which burned brightly several feet away from him. There was a large jagged hole in the windshield.

He had been thrown out.

He seemed to be alone. His attacker was gone, probably assuming that the explosion had killed him instantaneously.

He touched his forehead, feeling small, jagged pieces of glass. His brought his fingers in front of his face to see that they were red. The skin under his nose felt wet.

Darien's lungs heaved, trying to bring in air. His chest hurt. Even though his heart was beating weakly, every stroke brought a dull thud to his ears.

He reached his hand slowly into his pocket and took out his cell phone, his fingers trembling.

While he waited for her to pick up, he lifted himself up, wincing when his wrists bent unnaturally. He managed to sit up and leaned his back against a trash can.

"Serena…" he breathed.

"Darien," her voice was surprised and hopeful. "Did you get home yet? I… I left you a note on your door."

He smiled, his face hurting as he did, "No, I'm still out. Listen, Serena… I think Chaos is coming after us individually. You're going to need to be strong and brave. You should warn the others too. And ask them to come back to Tokyo and protect you."

"Okay, Darien, I will."

He turned the phone away while he coughed, his lungs burning. Red spots on the ground.

"And Serena… I want you to know…" he said, trying to keep his voice steady even as every word was difficult. He smiled, "Sometimes I feel like nothing really matters in the world except you. I just want you to be safe and happy. It… It doesn't matter to me who you choose, Serena. Honestly. I'd feel the same way towards you no matter what. I just wanted you to know that."

His eyes drifted towards the dark, empty sky. He looked downwards again, his vision blurring. He ignored the pool of red seeping through his shirt and spreading over the sidewalk.

"I know, Darien," he heard her whisper, "Read my note when you get home."

He chuckled, "All right."

The ringing in his ear grew louder. He felt another trail of blood making its way down the side of his face.

He swallowed. It tasted like rusted metal. Then he felt his chest hurt.

His lungs were failing him.

"Serena… I… I have to go now," he said quietly, "I have to focus on driving. Please take care of yourself, okay?"

"Okay, Darien... You too."

He held the cell phone against his ear for another moment, as if wanting to prolong the sound of her voice. Then he lost his grip and the phone hit the sidewalk. He smiled tiredly, content that she knew how he felt about her. He gave up trying to sit up and let himself slump downwards.

_"__Darien__… Do you love me?"_

_He looked down at her affectionately, "Yes."_

_They were standing at the harbor, looking out at the open sea. He and Serena were finally together again after Galaxia had taken him away from her._

_"How?" she asked, her large eyes looking at his innocently._

_He laughed, his gaze gentle, "Why are you asking this now?"_

_"Please," she pleaded, "Like, how?"_

_He frowned, turning away from her to stare thoughtfully at the horizon._

_Then he smiled, looking at her intently._

_"When I'm with you, I feel like I'm filled with an energy I can't even describe."_

_She blushed. Satisfied, she snuggled closer to him. After a moment of comfortable silence, he bent down to kiss her. The moon hung brightly in the sky._

Darien smiled, the image settling comfortably in his mind. He felt satisfied knowing that his last thoughts were of her, of kissing her, of being with her. He wished he could continue to protect her. But she had her friends. They had always come through for her, even when she was only a teenager.

He chuckled when he remembered meeting her for the first time on the street. That curious girl with the unusual hair, bad grades and gorgeous blue eyes.

As he thought of her angel-like face looking defiantly at him that day, he finally let go.

_I love you… Meatball Head._

Then his eyes stared blankly forwards at nothing.

---

Serena clicked off her phone, a smile on her face. She sat on her bed, hugging her knees as she leaned back against her pillow.

When he read her note, he would finally know. He would know that she loved him. He would know that she had chosen him.

She smiled excitedly. She couldn't wait.

---

_AN:_

_If you can forgive me for this chapter, please review (will motivate me to post the final chapter sooner). Um... the ending is not necessarily depressing, that's all I'll say.  
_


	6. Chapter 6 of 6

The ringing in his ear grew louder. He felt another trail of blood making its way down the side of his face.

He swallowed. It tasted like rusted metal. Then he felt his chest hurt.

His lungs were failing him.

Darien smiled. He felt satisfied knowing that his last thoughts were of her, of kissing her, of being with her. He wished he could continue to protect her. But she had her friends. They had always come through for her, even when she was only a teenager.

He chuckled when he remembered meeting her for the first time on the street. That curious girl with the unusual hair, bad grades and gorgeous blue eyes.

As he thought of her angel-like face looking defiantly at him that day, he finally let go.

_I love you… Meatball Head._

Then his eyes stared blankly forwards at nothing.

---

Serena clicked off her phone, a smile on her face. She sat on her bed, hugging her knees as she leaned back against her pillow.

When he read her note, he would finally know. He would know that she loved him. He would know that she had chosen him.

She smiled excitedly. She couldn't wait.

**The Good Guy  
****By Phantasy Star  
Chapter ****Six**

Serena burst through the double doors of the hospital, the white jacket she had thrown around herself dropping unnoticed on to the floor.

She ran down the hall and came towards a group of people gathered at a staff station. Doctors, nurses. They all looked concerned. Dimly, she recognized a female doctor who was one of Darien's coworkers.

The woman approached her first, "I'm so sorry, Miss Tsukino. Dr. Chiba is-"

"No, no," Serena whispered, shaking her head repeatedly as if in a trance, "No, it's… it's not him. You have the wrong person. I was just talking to him on the phone. The timing is wrong. It can't be him. It's not… it's not him… It isn't… It's not…"

"He's experiencing multiple organ failure," the female doctor said sympathetically, "He's probably not going to make it."

"No," Serena insisted again in her monotonous voice, tears streaming down her face, "No, it's somebody else. I told you, it can't be him. You don't understand. I was just on the phone with him a few minutes ago. He was talking to me like everything was normal. It's not him. It's not him. He was… He was…"

The stretcher rounded the corner and Serena felt her stomach churn. The nurses moved the body closer.

With a hand clasped over her mouth, Serena backed away, decided that she didn't wanted to see. Her body was shaking. Her legs seemed ready to fail her at any moment. With a hoarse cry, she stepped forwards and looked.

Her heart stopped.

"Darien!" she screamed, "Darien! No, Darien!"

Her cries drowned out the voices around her. She had just spoken to him.

It was wrong. This was all wrong. It was all impossible and wrong.

"Miss Tsukino…" the female doctor said as she put a hand on her shoulder, "There's nothing we can do…"

Serena shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face.

"Please wait! There might be something we could try!"

Serena turned her bloodshot eyes towards the voice she used to know so well.

"Amy?"

---

"I don't know if it's going to work," Amy admitted to Serena while watching the surgery from the gallery, "It's a new procedure."

They wouldn't let her operate, but she had given detailed instructions to the surgeons on how to proceed.

She had flown back from her studies in America immediately after she heard the news about Chaos. Only an hour after her flight's arrival, her old professor called her to the hospital with an "impossible" case. He had joked that it was a perfect chance to see how her training in the States had benefited her, and she had chuckled politely.

She had no idea the near-death case would be her one of her oldest and dearest friends.

Amy looked at Serena who sat trembling besides her.

"I… I was going to tell him I loved him," Serena whispered, "After all this time, I wanted him to know that he's the one I want, not Seiya."

Amy looked at her best friend wordlessly.

"He loves me," Serena said, smiling through her tears, "He's the only one who would never hurt me. He wanted me to be happy even when I was with somebody else… I finally realize that I love him too, and now… now he might never know. Now he might never know that I choose him…"

Amy clutched on to Serena's hand tightly, her voice defiant, "He can survive this. It's Darien."

Serena rested her head on Amy's shoulder, as the young doctor pulled her into an empty hug.

xxx

_One month later…_

Darien opened his eyes slowly. Then he shut them again. Sunlight. His eyes hurt.

He groaned.

'Where am I?'

He tried again, turning his head and looking at the apparatus next to his bed. IV drips. Heart monitor. He recognized the ceilings and walls. He was at his hospital.

Except he was a patient.

A nurse wandered inside and gasped.

"He's awake!" she called, and he winced at her loud voice, grateful when she disappeared out the door as abruptly as she had come in.

A moment later, a familiar figure came to the door.

"Darien!"

"Amy?" he said hoarsely.

He cleared his throat.

"It's true, you're finally up!" Amy said, surprise and relief on her face. "Welcome back!"

He noticed her white coat and the chart in her hand.

"What happened to me?" he asked.

"Severe damage to multiple organs," she said sympathetically, "Most people wouldn't have survived it, but your body heals faster than most – you probably know why."

Darien recalled his natural self-healing abilities.

Amy gave him a small smile, "Darien, it's been… twenty-six days."

"I… I've been out for a whole month?"

Amy nodded.

"And you work here now?" Darien said, confused.

"Yes," Amy said, "They offered me a clinical fellowship here and I took it. I wanted to be in Tokyo in case something happened…"

Darien's eyes widened, remembering.

He lowered his voice, "Are we still fighting Chaos?"

Amy turned away slightly, "No. We defeated it."

"And Serena? Is she okay?"

Amy flinched, and an uncomfortable smile came over her face.

"Yes. We're all fine. She's not working today, but I can go call her if you'd like."

Darien nodded, and Amy left the room. He took the time alone to survey his own body.

A large cast was wrapped around his torso and part of his chest. He touched the large bandage over his head which he assumed was covering a wide gash. He tried moving his arms and legs, relieved when all his limbs responded.

He rested his head on the pillow again, looking up at the ceiling. He realized he was still very tired.

Closing his eyes, he drifted off.

---

Darien looked out the window at the clear night sky. It had been hours since he had woken up. The room was dark, with the lamp next to his hospital bed dimly lit.

It still seemed unbelievable to him. He had been in a coma for almost an entire month.

His thoughts wandered towards Serena again.

Where was she? She really fought against Chaos and won? Were the other girls okay? Was Hotaru okay?

He saw a familiar shadow on the floor and turned towards the doorway.

Serena.

He felt his heart speeding as usual when he saw her. He smiled. She was beautiful as always, her golden hair seeming to brighten the room. She was thinner than he remembered though, more tired.

"Darien…" she whispered incredulously, "It's true. You're awake."

He felt a mix of emotions coursing through him. Joy, relief, guilt. Hope.

He sat up quickly, his voice hoarse, "Serena… I… I want to apologize. The day before I was attacked, I overreacted when I stormed off from the hospital cafeteria. I was worried about Hotaru and, well, I shouldn't have blamed it on you."

She looked at him with a small and dismissive smile, "I don't want to talk about it. It's almost a month ago now."

He nodded, "Right…"

She went up to his bed.

"Darien…" she said quietly, "The doctors told me that your chances of waking up were very slim. Amy actually told me less than ten percent. I… I never expected you to come back."

He looked at her, confused. She looked almost guilty.

"I… I didn't know you'd get better…" she said again, avoiding his eyes.

"What… What's going on?" he asked, frowning.

She shook her head, ignoring his question, "Darien, I didn't come to work today because I'm on my one-week break. In fact, I'm catching a plane out tonight to Hong Kong. Maybe we can use this time apart to figure out what we really want."

He blinked, confused.

Just then, Seiya walked into the room.

"Darien…" he said with a nod, "I'm glad you're awake."

Darien watched wide-eyed as the other man put a hand on Serena's shoulder.

"Serena," Seiya said, "We need to go now if we're going to make it to the airport on time."

Serena looked down uncomfortably.

Darien looked into Serena's eyes, his voice hesitant, "I… I don't think we need time apart to think. I think you already know what you want."

"I'm sorry, Darien."

He looked at her flushed face. Then his gaze fell.

Seiya gently led Serena out, and Darien raised his eyes to stare after them.

Then he sank his head back into his pillow.

xxx

"Dar Dar!"

Hotaru ran towards him happily, crashing into him for a hug.

He winced laughingly from the pain. It was worth it.

It had been a week since he had woken up, and his doctors had finally let him off his bed. He was taking a stroll around the gardens behind the hospital when he ran into his unexpected visitor.

"I've missed you, kiddo," he said cheerfully.

He smiled at Setsuna, who stood several feet away watching them.

"They told us you might not get better," Hotaru said, her large eyes brimming, "I was so, so happy when Amy called us!"

He grinned, kneeling down so that he was face-to-face with her.

"And you've been well?" Darien asked, "No complications from your injury?"

"Yes…" Hotaru nodded enthusiastically, "I'm all better now."

Darien felt his stomach tighten as he remembered Hotaru's attack. He wished he could have helped fight against Chaos, to avenge Hotaru's injuries and his own. Then he thought about how his outburst may have been what cost him his relationship with Serena as well. His eyes darkened.

"Dar Dar, what's wrong?" Hotaru said wonderingly, "Aren't you happy you're better?"

Darien forced a smile.

"Of course I am. I'm even happier that you came to see me. I'm still a little tired, that's all."

xxx

A few days later, Darien was slowing his car to a stop at the city harbor.

He got out and stepped towards the pier, looking out at the sea. The ocean air and warm winds felt fresh and invigorating. He had been indoors for far too long.

He turned when he heard a vehicle pull up. The red sports car came to a stop on the other side of the road, and Serena got out from the passenger's side. She jogged towards him.

"Hey Darien. Sorry I'm late."

He shook his head, "It's okay."

"I… I didn't purposely avoid your calls," she apologized, "I've just been really busy lately."

He looked past her and saw Seiya in the driver's seat of the car. He looked at her again.

"It's fine, Serena. I know you were busy on your holiday. Listen, I know you asked me to meet you because you had something to tell me. But I've been meaning to ask you, are you sure that Chaos is gone? How did you defeat it?"

"The other girls and I used our powers and we won," she said plainly, "You don't have to worry about that anymore."

He nodded.

Serena looked at him uncomfortably, "Anyway, my… my news…"

Darien glanced at Seiya again, sitting silently in the car.

"You're back with Seiya?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral.

She looked deeply into his eyes.

"We're getting married next month."

Darien took a faltered step backwards as she handed him a small, white piece of paper. He stared at it.

_You are cordially invited to celebrate the wedding of_

_Seiya Kou  
__and  
Serena Tsukino_

_On Wednesday afternoon  
__March 18  
At __four o'clock_

He raised his gaze to look at her, forcing a smile. His throat tightened and he swallowed.

"That's… That's great," he said, taking the invitation from her, "Congratulations."

He flinched as Serena put her hand on his larger one, her expression a mixture of sympathy and guilt.

"I'm sorry," she said as she looked up into his eyes, "Darien, please don't be sad. Ever since we were teenagers, I've always been so afraid to see you sad."

Darien gently withdrew his hand and turned away from her, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Don't be silly, Serena," he said smilingly with his back towards her, "I… I admit that I'm disappointed, but the toughest part is over. When Seiya came back to Earth, I already knew that it was over between us. I know he lied to you so that you can put down your feelings for him. It seems like he really cares about you…"

"Darien…" Serena whispered behind him.

He turned towards her, his eyes gentle, "I'm fine, Serena. I… I should go say congratulations the groom."

He walked to the red sports car parked several feet away, and Seiya got out.

"I wish you two the best," Darien said sincerely as he faced the younger man, "I hope you won't mind if I remain close friends with Serena. Hotaru still needs her as a big sister, and Serena's family is like my own. But I promise, I won't come between you two."

Seiya nodded and smiled, "Of course."

He offered his hand and Seiya took it politely. Then he watched as Seiya took Serena's hand, leading her back to his car. Darien stared after them, at their joined hands, Serena's back as she left him for the last time. He looked away towards at the sea, trying to keep himself steady.

Then he turned around and walked away.

xxx

Darien lay in his bed, staring up at the familiar ceiling. It had been two weeks since he had gotten back from the hospital, two weeks since he had been allowed to resume his normal life.

Serena was getting married.

He had decided a long time ago that it didn't matter how she felt about him. He would have been content to die – and he almost did – knowing that she would be happy. It would have been enough.

But there were too many memories between them. Finding out she was Sailormoon for the first time in the tower, remembering his identity and his love for her in Alan and Ann's apartment, fighting alongside her against the Black Moon family.

After they had broken up, when he returned to Tokyo, he was only too happy to be a part of her life again. He was fine with being her confidante, of being her big brother when she needed him especially during her difficult period with Seiya. But the truth was, despite everything, despite his acceptance of being the nice guy, despite just wanting to protect and look after her, he still loved her, and he knew that she loved someone else.

It still hurt.

He hastily wiped away a single tear about to touch his pillow.

Suddenly, a chill ran through his body.

His vision blurred.

He clutched his head, a sense of urgency and desperation rushing through his body. Pain split from his forehead down his spine to his knees.

He gasped. The feeling was strangely familiar. Just like years ago, when he felt Sailormoon in danger.

Just then, a knock at the door came.

He staggered to the living room as quickly as he could, opening the door to find Amy looking wide-eyed at him.

She stared at him.

"Serena needs your help."

---

Darien stepped on the motorcycle gas pedal as far down as he could.

He had only a minute in the elevator to talk to Amy, but her words raised more questions than they answered.

"Serena asked me to lie to you. We never defeated Chaos," Amy had said.

Darien continued to speed past the few cars on the street, running red light after red light.

"We were fighting Chaos tonight where the Starlight Tower used to be," Amy had continued, "She used all of her energy. She's… she's dying, Darien."

Darien ignored the dull dread threatening to consume him. He could still save her. He had done it before.

She couldn't be dying.

The roar of his motorcycle left a deadening sound down the otherwise quiet streets of Tokyo.

He had to get to her.

---

He slowed his bike abruptly when he saw a gathering of people on the side of the road. Sailor fukus, different colors. At least six of them. He stopped the motorcycle and jumped down.

Anxiously, he rushed towards where the Senshi had gathered. He dimly recognized Michiru, Haruka, Setsuna and Seiya amongst the group.

They were gathered around one fallen Senshi on the ground.

His heart cried out.

She lay unconscious on the pavement, her face pale, her long hair falling crumpled around her.

"Serena!" he shouted.

He knelt down beside her. The others were on the floor as well, staring at their princess with tears in their eyes.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"She used all her energy to defeat Chaos," Michiru murmured brokenly, "She needs you, Darien."

He looked at Serena's closed eyes, the moment strangely familiar. Then he glanced briefly at Seiya, hesitant.

"Hurry!" he said desperately.

Darien nodded. He took Serena's hand in his and, bending downwards slowly, he touched his lips to hers. He never thought he'd have the privilege again. His eyes closed, he felt his energy pour into her lifeless body. It left his own feeling empty and cold.

He pulled away gently.

His eyes widened when he saw color flooding into her cheeks again.

She opened her eyes slowly, her eyelashes fluttering.

"Ser… Serena…" he choked incredulously.

He never thought she looked as beautiful as she did at that moment, her face glowing and her eyes hazed. She was alive – she was okay.

It didn't even matter that he wasn't supposed to be the one holding her.

"We should give them their privacy," he heard Setsuna say, a hint of a smile in her voice.

Darien, pulling out of his trance, looked at the Sailorsenshi around him. Did Setsuna mean him and Serena, or Seiya and Serena? To his surprise, Seiya stood up, joining the others as they backed away, murmuring joyously at the awakening of their princess.

He turned to focus on Serena, and he helped her sit up.

"Thanks for coming," she said softly, a small smile on her face, "I… I didn't think you could save my life three times with a kiss."

He shook his head, confused, "You said you'd defeated Chaos while I was in my coma…"

Her voice was quiet, "I… I lied to you, Darien. We didn't defeat Chaos until today. But I didn't want you to know we were still fighting… The reason you were attacked first was, Chaos knew you were the most important person to me. It wanted me to suffer. I knew that if you knew Chaos was still around, you would try to protect me, and you would get hurt again. You're still weak from your injuries, I didn't want you to be hurt because of me again…"

He blinked, still perplexed.

She continued softly, "I… I needed you to stay away from me, so I had to tell you I didn't want to be with you anymore."

His confusion was slowly being replaced by a hopefulness he was almost afraid to grasp on to. He felt his insides jump.

"You mean…" he started.

She said sheepishly, "Seiya and I never got back together."

His eyes widened. "This whole wedding thing…"

"We… we made it up so that you wouldn't come near me…"

"Serena…" he whispered.

She tried to stand up and he quickly offered her his hand. Darien saw Seiya come towards them.

But he didn't approach Serena, coming towards Darien instead with a wide grin.

"Darien," Seiya said good-naturedly, "I hereby give you back Odango. You should take good care of her – it's been a tough month for her, fighting Chaos and still having to visit you at the hospital every night. I found her asleep at your bedside more times than I can count. She's really missed you a lot.

He smiled at Darien, "I wish you two the best. I hope that you won't mind if Odango and I remain friends. The Starlights see her as our princess now. But I promise, I won't come between the two of you."

Darien nodded, accepting Seiya's outstretched hand. "Of course."

Seiya gave Darien a friendly pat on the shoulder, then put his hands into his pockets and walked away.

"Serena…" Darien said as he turned back towards her, taking her hands in his, "You really had me going there. That wedding invitation, it even had a time and date on it."

She winced apologetically, "I wanted to make it seem real."

He shook her hands playfully, shifting the weight between his feet as he looked diffidently at her, "You know, that date in March… It's not a bad day." He shrugged, "When we were teenagers you always talked about a spring wedding… It's kind of a waste to have thought of a date and a time and not use it. What… what do you think we should do?"

She blushed, looking shyly at their joined hands, "Well, I guess we can… change the name of the groom… put somebody else's name in there..."

He grinned, his thumbs drawing lazy circles on the back of her hands.

"Well, who do you suggest?"

"How… How about 'Mr. Chiba'?" she said softly, blushing deeply.

He smiled.

"Well then, your name should be changed too."

She looked at him, confused and shocked, "Changed to what?"

"Meatball Head," he laughed, "Mr. Chiba and Miss Meatball Head, how does that sound?"

She was about to respond when he pulled her into a kiss, one arm wrapping tightly around her as his other hand supported her head. He barely noticed the cheers and laughter from the other Senshi. It didn't matter.

They were finally together again.

xxx

"Okay, I'll be the first to say it: Setsuna is always right."

The Sailorsenshi of Time merely smiled at Michiru's comment. She leaned her back against a tree while Michiru and Haruka lay leisurely on the blond woman's car, staring upwards at the cloudless sky.

Haruka spoke up, "I still think it was too risky. We're just lucky it worked out the way it did."

Michiru chuckled, "No, Setsuna made the right decision. She had to take away Serena and Darien's memories of their future. That way, the Princess can choose freely for herself to love the Prince, and vice versa. They will always cherish each other now. Not only will they be just and capable rulers of Crystal Tokyo, but they will be happy as well."

Their conversation was interrupted when Hotaru ran towards them.

"I want to go see Dar Dar!" she said excitedly.

Setsuna looked at her with a small smile, "Later, Hotaru. Give him some time alone with Serena. They just found each other again."

Hotaru sighed disappointedly, then brightened with a grin, "All right. I know that'll make Dar Dar happy."

She rested her head against Setsuna's hand, and the four Outersenshi looked up at the night sky together.

Finally, the future was secured.

xxx

Serena leaned her head against Darien's arm as they stood at the harbor, watching the ocean waves lap quietly beneath them.

It was a familiar moment. They had said goodbye to the Starlights who went back to Kinmoku to keep watch over their home planet. Haruka and Michiru had set off on another private mission, while Setsuna remained on Earth to continue watching after the flow of time, as well as the young girl in her care.

"Serena…" he said worriedly, "You haven't said anything since we said goodbye to the other Senshi. Are you okay?"

She looked up at him, a small smile on her face, "Darien… Why do you love me?"

He laughed lightly, "This question again?"

She shook her head, "I'm not asking rhetorically, or because I want some romantic answer from you. I really want to know."

He frowned, "Why now?"

She grimaced, "Because… I don't deserve you. I don't deserve to have someone feel about me the way you feel about me. During all this time, throughout everything I was going through, you've always been with me, protecting me, taking care of me. I don't deserve any of that, Darien. You're just… you're too good for me. You're like a perfect boyfriend, older brother, dependable future husband all rolled into one, and I-"

He put his arm around her gently.

"I'm the one who's worried I'm not good enough for you," he whispered, "I… I'm not a romantic person, Serena. I'm not a rock star, I don't know how to write love songs, I don't know which flowers mean what, and I don't know how to buy romantic gifts… I just know that I really care about you. I'm the one who's scared you'd change your mind about me."

"Never," she said softly.

"You don't mind taking the boring nice guy?" he said jokingly, "I'm not Tuxedomask anymore, you know."

She thought for a moment, then said truthfully, "You don't need a mask to be the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me."

He smiled.

Leaning downwards, he kissed her again.

It felt just like seven years ago, when they stared into each others' eyes under the moon.

Only this time, he would not let her go.

- End -

* * *

_Author's Notes:_

_It's finally over! I hope everyone was satisfied with the ending! To the reviewers who mentioned Serena shouldn't get off so easily, I added Serena's long dialogue at the end for you. I realize I still didn't make Serena really grovel after her "mistake", but it was important to keep the story's theme consistent – __Darien__ loves her unconditionally and self-sacrificially, so he wouldn't abandon her or be angry with her or even demand an apology from her. Yes, he's that great._

_I also hope it was okay that I didn't include any fighting scenes, even though Chaos was supposedly defeated in this chapter. Reasons: (1) this is a drama/romance and (2) __Darien__ was incapacitated during a lot of major fights in the anime so this is consistent, no? (smiles)_

_Last thing: I want to remind you girls out there to consider the good guys in your life! Why abuse yourself by sticking to the dangerous, controversial, hot-and-cold bad boys? Sometimes it's worth picking the considerate guy who wants the best for you – might make you happier in the long run. Hope this story was able to illustrate that!_

_Anyway, I'd love to hear what you think about the ending and the story in general. Please review!_

_Phantasy Star  
July 29, 2009_


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